The Mercedes driver, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, may experience increasing anxiety in his quest for the 2026 Formula 1 championship title, as improvements from McLaren and Ferrari could complicate his situation, warned former champion Nico Rosberg.
Currently, Antonelli holds an 81-point advantage over his teammate, George Russell, who is in second place. His latest victory at the Spanish Grand Prix was aided by a nimble moment during the virtual safety car.
In a post-race press conference, Antonelli acknowledged that his win did not come about in the desired way and that, had it not been for the virtual safety car, McLaren’s Lando Norris would have been the winner.
In an appearance on the _Sky Sports F1 Show_, Rosberg pointed out that Antonelli’s situation could resemble his experience in 2016, when he noticed a decline in his performance in the last races.
Rosberg commented: ‘The worst-case scenario would be if suddenly McLaren starts gaining ground, along with improvements from Ferrari, and Kimi falls among the drivers.’ He added that the anxiety would increase if Antonelli starts to drop in the standings.
The next championship event, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, will take place between September 24 and 26, marked as a decisive moment for the season.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
