Lando Norris and Max Verstappen pointed to Kimi Antonelli as the driver who stood out the most in the first half of the 2026 Formula 1 season. The Italian leads the championship after eleven rounds, with six wins and nine podiums for Mercedes.
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The assessment gained strength after the Hungarian GP, in which Antonelli finished third after recovering positions despite starting with a penalty. Norris, the winner of the race in Budapest, was asked who had the best performance relative to the available equipment, and initially avoided choosing a single name.
“I think you have to say Kimi, as a complete package. They have a great car, and he did an incredible job, convincingly beating his teammate every weekend,” said Norris. The McLaren driver also highlighted the difficulty of comparing performances between teams but considered that Antonelli deserves credit in the championship fight.
Verstappen agreed with the British driver’s assessment: “If you look ahead, Kimi has done a very good job. Very strong, very consistent, being the strongest in the team,” said the three-time world champion, adding that the Italian has been ‘very consistent at nineteen years old,’ despite also having faced moments of bad luck.
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The Red Bull Racing driver also described the current season as a kind of ‘jungle’ due to the difficulties faced with his car. For Verstappen, Antonelli combines speed and consistency, as well as being ‘a nice guy and a very strong driver’.
Antonelli, however, took a more cautious stance in response to the praise: “I feel like I had a good first half of the season,” said the Italian, before acknowledging that he still needs to improve: “There is still a long way to go before I reach their level, the two drivers beside me. So, I feel like I’m doing a great job, but there is still a lot to do to get to their level,” concluded the young Italian.
