Kimi Antonelli left the Formula 1 Hungarian GP satisfied with the result obtained after a complicated weekend. The Mercedes driver finished third and extended his lead in the standings over Lewis Hamilton to 50 points before the summer break.
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After starting from seventh position, a consequence of a three-place grid penalty after qualifying, Antonelli and Mercedes attempted an alternative strategy with only one stop. However, the team abandoned the plan upon realizing that tire wear was at its limit, adjusting the tactic to take advantage of the car’s pace and put him in contention for the podium.
The Italian secured third place after a duel in the final laps with Hamilton. The British driver eventually dropped to fifth place due to a penalty for speeding in the pit lane. With this, Antonelli reached 219 points in the championship, against Hamilton’s 169. George Russell, who faced difficulties at the start by activating the anti-stall system and finished only seventh, has 160 points.
After the race, Antonelli described the result as an important recovery given the circumstances. “It was a difficult race, it was really very complicated to overtake, so we needed to do something with the strategy. Initially, we tried to complete the race with just one stop,” he stated.
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The driver explained why the team changed plans during the race. “I tried to continue with one stop, but then they told me the tire was very much at its limit, so we stopped. Then, with the virtual safety car, both Ferraris went to the pits. I knew it would be difficult because they were on soft tires and I was on hards, but, fortunately, we managed to keep them behind.”
Antonelli also highlighted the importance of the result before the season break. “It’s the best way to go into the summer break. I think today was a great damage limitation, and we need to keep pushing because the second half of the season will be difficult, but we will do our best,” he concluded.
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