Sky Sports activities Components 1 analyst Martin Brundle has argued that Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli is now the clear benchmark within the 2026 championship after a formidable dash race victory at Silverstone.
Antonelli, now in his second season within the collection, has emerged as the person to beat. The 19-year-old turned the youngest driver to steer the standings after back-to-back wins on the Chinese language and Japanese Grands Prix. He went on to safe three additional consecutive wins in Miami, Canada and Monaco.
After retiring from the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix and a third-place end in Austria, Antonelli has come again strongly at Silverstone. He certified second for the dash race and claimed the victory after taking the lead of the race from seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton.
“Kimi used his head within the dash. That is a maturity now that is manner past his years,” Brundle defined through the Sky Sports activities F1 British Grand Prix weekend broadcast.
“He is a bit of bit wild sometimes – we noticed that in Austria on the primary lap – however he is surviving these. Then, he settles down with unbelievable tempo, particularly within the second half of a tyre stint.
“He is unquestionably the motive force to beat on this championship.”
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Photograph by: Erik Junius
Former W Collection driver Naomi Schiff, who joined Brundle on the Sky Sports activities broadcast, added: “When he got here into Components 1, we thought Toto [Wolff] introduced Kimi in prematurely.
“He does not lack any uncooked velocity, it is the way you rein him in and the way to verify he does not make too many errors. He is solely 19, however what a beautiful story it’s for F1.”
Antonelli now leads the drivers’ championship with 179 factors. His Mercedes team-mate George Russell follows in second with 136 factors and Hamilton is third with 132 factors.
Consequently, the Brackley outfit leads the constructors’ championship with 315 factors. Ferrari is second with 215 factors and McLaren is third with 167 factors.
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