GP winner René Arnoux: “These regulations really piss me off”

Frenchman René Arnoux, who has competed in 149 Grand Prix races and won seven, was already deeply impressed by the 19-year-old championship leader Kimi Antonelli by the end of March 2026.

Arnoux spoke very highly of the Italian teenager when he told our colleagues at *La Gazzetta dello Sport*: “Antonelli reminds me of Lewis Hamilton, who, like him, rose through the ranks quickly. Both came through the junior ranks of a top team – the Italian at Mercedes and the Briton at McLaren – and achieved outstanding results in every category.”

“Then they were immediately given the opportunity to drive a competitive car, which has both advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, a young driver has to cope with greater pressure and risks getting his fingers burnt; on the other hand, he has the chance to compete for the biggest honours.”

Now it looks as though the Formula 1 World Championship is set to see a duel between the young lion Antonelli and record champion Hamilton. Following his victory in Spain, the Briton is in the best position to spoil the party for the championship leader from Italy.

Arnoux on this head-to-head: “In Spain, both the driver and the car were the deciding factors in the victory. Admittedly, I had my doubts as to whether Hamilton might have lost some of his edge with age, but now he has once again shown just what a great champion he is.”

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“He’s currently inspiring his Ferrari team, and he’s given the Tifosi renewed confidence. At the same time, Ferrari has made great progress with the race car. The new parts seem to be working. All the ingredients seem to be in place for a season-long duel with Mercedes.”

Arnoux on the situation at Mercedes, with George Russell up against Kimi Antonelli: “It’s complicated. It seems a bit early to me to impose team orders; after all, we’re barely a third of the way through the season. But if Russell keeps coming off second best against Antonelli, then you have to question his future in the team.”

“With Kimi, at 19 years old and with only 31 races under his belt, expectations are different. But Kimi seems to be getting a lot of support from the team and also from boss Toto Wolff. Mercedes need to be careful. It wouldn’t be the first time that two team-mates have really got in each other’s way.”

Arnoux on the 2026 engine generation: “These regulations really piss me off. They’re far too complicated, and I find it unacceptable that thoroughbred racers have to lift off the throttle on the straights to recharge these cars’ batteries. I’ve got nothing against electric power, but this 50:50 split between internal combustion and electric power – that really was the worst idea.”