Whereas Mercedes have largely dominated the opening a part of the 2026 marketing campaign, former F1 driver Johnny Herbert has warned that the group may quickly face a contemporary problem – and this time, it could not come from Scuderia Ferrari.
The German outfit entered the 2026 marketing campaign because the overwhelming favorite to dominate the season and has to this point lived as much as these expectations, claiming victory in eight of the 11 Grands Prix held to this point. Nevertheless, forward of the following race weekend within the Netherlands, Herbert believes Mercedes may face an rising risk from McLaren.
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The previous Benetton F1 driver admitted that, if he had been in Mercedes’ place, his greatest concern at this stage of the season could be McLaren, significantly after the group’s spectacular exhibiting on the Hungarian Grand Prix.
“If I had been in Antonelli and Mercedes’ footwear, my primary concern proper now could be McLaren,” Herbert mentioned, chatting with a betting platform. “On the eve of the break, they appear to have made essentially the most vital progress and in the intervening time they appear to be in a extremely good place.”
Kimi Antonelli with closest championship rival, Lewis Hamilton – Photograph: Race Photos
Kimi Antonelli with closest championship rival, Lewis Hamilton – Photograph: Race Photos
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The 62-year-old, nevertheless, advised that McLaren’s resurgence may present one of the intriguing narratives of the rest of the marketing campaign. He believes it could be significantly fascinating to see how championship chief Kimi Antonelli and Mercedes reply if the stress from their rivals begins to mount.
“It will be implausible to see McLaren again in rivalry for the Drivers’ Championship with Lando Norris. Then we might see how Antonelli and Mercedes would deal with the stress. There could possibly be one other dramatic flip of occasions this season,” he concluded.
For now, nevertheless, Antonelli stays the overwhelming favorite to win the Drivers’ Championship. The Italian at present sits a staggering 50 factors away from his nearest title challenger, Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari.
Herbert hints at motive behind Russell’s 2026 struggles
Earlier, Herbert recognized two components he believes are contributing to George Russell’s struggles at Mercedes. The British driver was broadly tipped to problem for the 2026 Drivers’ Championship however has as a substitute discovered himself taking part in second fiddle to his youthful teammate Antonelli for a lot of the marketing campaign.
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In his evaluation of Russell’s struggles, Herbert pointed to Antonelli’s excellent performances and the uncertainty surrounding Max Verstappen’s future as two components that could possibly be affecting the Briton.
The previous F1 driver additionally emphasised the significance of getting a steady and warranted working atmosphere, suggesting that Russell might at present be missing that sense of certainty amid his current struggles.
