Johnny Herbert has praised Kimi Antonelli for the maturity and clarity he showed during the opening lap of the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid, highlighting how quickly the Mercedes driver returned positions after cutting the circuit. The former Formula 1 driver contrasted Antonelli’s immediate reaction with Max Verstappen’s handling of his own first-lap incident with Lewis Hamilton.
Herbert was far from being one of Antonelli’s strongest supporters a year ago, to put it mildly. However, the Italian’s performances throughout an extraordinary 2026 season are increasingly winning over the former British driver, who now works as a pundit.
Johnny Herbert praises Kimi Antonelli’s maturity in Madrid
Herbert was particularly impressed by the composure Antonelli showed at the start of the Madrid Grand Prix. After cutting the chicanes on the opening lap, the championship leader quickly gave back the positions he had gained rather than risking further intervention from the stewards.
“When he cut the chicanes on the first lap, he was very quick to give the position back, which Verstappen, for example, didn’t do,” Herbert told CasinoHawks.
According to Herbert, that immediate decision demonstrated both race intelligence and awareness of the wider situation.
“That shows both intelligence and an awareness of what you need to do, because it allowed him to be in a much better position when the race started to turn in his favour.”
The assessment adds to the growing praise surrounding Kimi Antonelli after another significant victory. His Madrid success was his eighth win of the season and added further milestones to a campaign in which he has already matched Juan Manuel Fangio’s Mercedes victory tally.
Herbert believes Verstappen waited too long to let Hamilton through
Herbert believes Max Verstappen can look back with some regret at the seconds lost while waiting to return the position to Lewis Hamilton.
The Red Bull driver had gone off track while fighting Hamilton during the chaotic opening sequence. He subsequently moved ahead of Antonelli as well, but Red Bull eventually instructed him to let Hamilton back through, which also required him to concede the position to Antonelli.
Herbert remains highly complimentary of Verstappen’s driving despite questioning how the Dutchman handled that particular situation.
“Max is literally squeezing everything out of that car. It’s incredible. He always manages to extract the absolute maximum from it, and that’s exactly what makes Max so special.”
However, Herbert believes an earlier decision to concede the place could have left Verstappen in a stronger position later in the race.
“The only thing I would probably say is that he should have given the position back to Hamilton earlier, and that would have put him in a much better position towards the end of the race. I understand that he felt he had been pushed off, but in F1 you always know how these things are going to play out.”
Antonelli’s small decision had major consequences
The contrast identified by Herbert is significant because both drivers were dealing with similar questions during the opening lap: whether to immediately surrender a position gained after leaving the circuit or wait for further clarification.
Antonelli chose the more immediate response. Rather than allowing the situation to develop into a potential penalty or prolonged debate over team radio, he quickly restored the order and continued his race.
That decision ultimately left him well placed when circumstances later moved in his favour. Antonelli went on to win the inaugural race at Madring, while Max Verstappen recovered to finish second.
For Herbert, it was another indication that Antonelli’s remarkable 2026 campaign is being built on more than raw speed. The Mercedes driver’s ability to remain composed during a chaotic moment, understand the likely consequences and respond immediately showed a level of race management that has increasingly become one of the defining qualities of his season.
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