Updates benefiting Kimi?
Andrea Kimi Antonelli will enjoy an unexpected break as the current leader of the World Championship, a scenario perhaps even more surprising for the Mercedes driver after George Russell had dominated the Melbourne weekend in Australia.
However, in China and Japan, Antonelli secured his first two career Formula 1 wins, a double victory that propelled him to the top of the Drivers’ Championship with a nine-point lead over his teammate. Juan Pablo Montoya highlighted that, at this moment, Antonelli seems to have a clear advantage over George Russell when the hard-compound tires are fitted: “In China, I think Antonelli was very lucky, but he did a great job. In Japan, with or without the safety car, he would have won that race,” Montoya told Casinostugan. “Antonelli was much more comfortable in the car on the harder tires compared to George. With the softer tires, the car is more forgiving. Once the harder tires are on, the car becomes more on the edge and a bit more difficult to drive. And I think that’s exactly the point where George struggles.”
Juan Pablo Montoya also suggested that Mercedes may have introduced an upgrade in Japan that perhaps suited Antonelli better than Russell: “There were rumors that Mercedes brought a new rear suspension or something different at the back of the car,” Montoya added. “What I wonder is: is this an upgrade tailored to Kimi’s driving style? Is Mercedes accommodating every request he makes? In this sport, you can never satisfy every driver.”
The “Antonelli factor” is reshaping the 2026 season in ways few predicted. Whether Mercedes is intentionally favoring the Italian’s style or if he is simply more adaptable to the W17’s latest evolution, the results speak for themselves. As Montoya suggests, in the world of high-stakes F1 development, there are always winners and losers behind the garage doors.
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