Kimi Antonelli: Mercedes update a flop? A lesson from Max Verstappen

Kimi Antonelli secured his 13th podium finish of the 2026 Grand Prix season, finishing second behind Max Verstappen at the Bahrain Grand Prix, held at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia.

The 20-year-old from Bologna has thereby extended his lead in the Drivers’ Championship to a commanding 84 points, as his closest rival, George Russell, was forced to retire due to engine failure.

Kimi remains true to his approach, which is to secure the best possible result from every race. And after this turbulent Bahrain Grand Prix, that meant second place behind Verstappen.

Antonelli praised him: “Max was very, very fast all weekend. Red Bull Racing and Max did a brilliant job, and we simply had more difficulties than in previous races.”

“We’re still trying to better understand the latest improvements to the car, especially as this track, with its rough tarmac and high temperatures, made life difficult for us. I hope we can get more out of the car in Singapore in a few days’ time. Second place was simply the best we could manage in Malaysia.”

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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff hasn’t ruled out the possibility that Mercedes might revert to the old car configuration. Kimi Antonelli also admits: “We still need to answer the question of whether this update has actually made us faster or slower. To be fair, I’d say that this season, whenever we’re racing on tracks with older tarmac, we’ve really struggled.”

“At Zandvoort, for example, McLaren were much faster than us, and I think that was down to the track surface. We seem to struggle with tyre management on surfaces like that. I’m sure we’ll learn more about the new parts in Singapore and then, hopefully, unlock their potential.”

Antonelli admits: Malaysia was a learning experience. As Kimi explains: “Whenever I have the chance to drive close to Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, I try to watch them very closely.”

“Sepang was a really good example of how Max mastered the restart on slick tyres and the slippery track. He simply knew much better how to position the car and had a better feel for the grip in those first two corners, and overtook me.”

“Even though it wasn’t nice to be overtaken – I was really annoyed about it in the car – it was still a good opportunity to learn from it and put that to good use in future.”

“And with Lewis, we’ve seen time and again over many years: even when things aren’t going well, he doesn’t let up and always gives his all to achieve the best possible result. He’s a great role model for us all.”