The Formula 1 driver, Kimi Antonelli, current championship leader, has stated that Mercedes no longer has the fastest car after finishing second behind Lando Norris at the Dutch Grand Prix.
The McLaren driver achieved victory in Zandvoort with a notably updated MCL40, leaving Mercedes with only two wins in the last six races, at a time when Ferrari has also achieved two victories.
This scenario contrasts with the dominant start the silver arrows had in 2026, when they won the first six races from pole. Now, Antonelli acknowledges that the development of other teams has changed the dynamics of the competition.
“Clearly, we are no longer the fastest car on the grid,” Antonelli stated. “We are probably among the second or third, at least in today’s race, and McLaren has made a big step, especially since Hungary with the important update they brought.”
Despite this, the driver expresses confidence in his team, which is working hard on a new update package. “We are ready to do our best and take advantage of any opportunity,” he added.
Mercedes has announced a significant update package for the second half of the season, but it has not yet been confirmed when and where it will take effect. Antonelli leads the standings with a 59-point lead over his teammate George Russell and Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari, while Mercedes maintains an 87-point gap with Ferrari in the fight for the constructors’ title.
Russell, after an unfortunate weekend with a seventh place in Budapest and a third in Zandvoort, predicts a better performance in Monza, but acknowledges that Ferrari is also preparing updates for the engine.
“I think we’ll be a bit more competitive there,” Russell said. “However, it’s uncertain. McLaren is the team to beat right now, especially with Norris, who has proven to be a specialist in high-degradation circuits.”
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
