Kimi Antonelli believes Mercedes maximised its result at the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix after he recovered from seventh on the grid to finish third, extending his Formula 1 championship lead over Lewis Hamilton to 50 points. The Italian had initially hoped to complete the race with only one pit stop, but rear-tyre problems forced Mercedes to revise its strategy.
One of the principles repeatedly emphasised by team principals and drivers during a championship battle is the importance of maximising every available opportunity. The Hungarian GP therefore became a perfect illustration of Kimi Antonelli’s outstanding first half of the season, as the Mercedes driver reached the podium despite starting from the fourth row.
It was a result achieved with a W17 that was far from flawless on a Sunday when Lando Norris and McLaren demonstrated superior pace. Nevertheless, Kimi Antonelli’s third place increased his advantage in the Formula 1 drivers’ standings to 50 points over Lewis Hamilton.
Kimi Antonelli maximises Hungarian GP result from seventh
The Hungarian Grand Prix delivered another significant result for Kimi Antonelli, who climbed from seventh on the grid to the final step of the podium with a solid, mistake-free performance.
“I think we maximised the result. Obviously, we were a little fortunate with the Virtual Safety Car and the problem Oscar Piastri had, but apart from that, we did everything we possibly could,” the young Mercedes driver explained.
“The conditions were quite difficult. We struggled first with oversteer and then with understeer because of the balance, but I am still happy with the result we achieved.”
Starting seventh and finishing third in Budapest is no simple task. Kimi Antonelli stressed that the layout of the Hungaroring required an additional effort, while Mercedes’ strategy ultimately allowed him to make progress on a circuit where overtaking is notoriously difficult.
“It wasn’t an easy race. Overtaking was very difficult, even when we had clearly stronger pace than the cars ahead. We knew that would be the case, and that is exactly how it turned out.”
“We did a good job of creating a useful tyre differential compared with the drivers ahead of us throughout the race, which allowed us to reach the podium.”
Mercedes abandons Antonelli’s preferred one-stop strategy
Kimi Antonelli’s first two stints were longer than those completed by his rivals. Mercedes’ decision not to bring him into the pits when the Virtual Safety Car was deployed following Oscar Piastri’s retirement also proved crucial to his recovery.
“Initially, I wanted to aim for a one-stop strategy,” Kimi Antonelli admitted. “It seemed possible during the first stint, but then we started experiencing problems with the rear tyres.”
“We switched to a two-stop strategy and had excellent pace in the final stint. The Virtual Safety Car made life a little more difficult for us, with Lewis Hamilton fitting new tyres and sitting right behind us, but we still managed to bring home third place.”
The outcome completed an impressive recovery and gave Kimi Antonelli another valuable result in the championship. It was also his ninth podium from the opening 11 races, with the Italian continuing the consistency that has defined his second season in Formula 1. A full account of his recovery and its championship impact can be found in the analysis of how Kimi Antonelli extended his title lead from seventh on the grid.
Antonelli admits Lando Norris had superior pace
Despite his progress through the field, Kimi Antonelli acknowledged that Hungarian GP winner Lando Norris had been the stronger driver on outright pace. He also highlighted the importance of Mercedes differentiating his strategy from those of his direct rivals, allowing him to recover additional positions.
“I don’t know what would have happened if I had started further forward. If I had started third, it would have been a different story, but I think Lando Norris still had something extra this weekend, even compared with us.”
“On pure pace, I don’t think I would have been able to challenge him, especially considering how difficult it was to follow the car ahead because of the ridiculous tyre overheating.”
Lando Norris ultimately converted McLaren’s pace into his first victory of the 2026 season and later described the Hungarian Grand Prix as one of his best drives. Oscar Piastri’s retirement, meanwhile, brought McLaren’s double-podium hopes to an abrupt end.
“Apart from that, it was a great team effort. We took a risk with the strategy at the beginning before reverting to a slightly safer approach, but despite everything, the team put me in a position to fight for the podium,” Kimi Antonelli said.
Kimi Antonelli reflects on surprising first half of 2026
Another podium added to the remarkable record Kimi Antonelli has built during his second season in Formula 1. The result strengthened his position at the top of the championship and completed an impressive opening half of the campaign for both the Italian and Mercedes.
“I definitely didn’t expect to find myself in this position. The car has been extremely competitive, the team has done an incredible job and, for my part, I am trying to maximise every single opportunity that comes my way.”
“Naturally, there is still a huge amount of work to do and plenty to learn, but it has definitely been a good first half of the season.”
The third-place finish behind Lando Norris and Max Verstappen can also be seen in the complete 2026 Hungarian GP classification.
“Now I am looking forward to the second half of the championship. This is the current situation and we need to continue like this, push as hard as possible and do our best. The second half of the year will be intense, but we are ready,” Kimi Antonelli concluded.
Leave a Reply