Verstappen hails Antonelli’s “rock-solid” start to 2026 season
Verstappen singles out Antonelli
Max Verstappen has praised Kimi Antonelli’s first half of the 2026 Formula 1 season, describing the Mercedes driver’s performances as “really impressive” and “rock solid”.
Antonelli claimed his maiden Grand Prix victory at Round 2 in China before producing five consecutive wins. That run elevated him to the top of the Drivers’ standings and made him the youngest-ever driver to lead the championship.
The 19-year-old has not enjoyed a flawless campaign. A mechanical problem forced him to retire in Barcelona, while another reliability issue at Silverstone dropped him out of the points. Even so, Antonelli remains 50 points clear of his closest rival, Lewis Hamilton.
Asked after the Hungarian Grand Prix to identify the strongest performer of the season’s opening half, Verstappen pointed directly to the Mercedes newcomer.
“I think, if you look at the front, Kimi has done a really good job,” Verstappen said. “Really strong, really solid, being the strongest in the team.”
The Red Bull driver acknowledged that Antonelli had also been “really unlucky sometimes”, but said his consistency at such an early stage of his Formula 1 career had stood out.
“As a 19-year-old, so far, I think he’s been rock solid. That’s really impressive to see as an outsider,” Verstappen added.
Red Bull’s focus after the summer break
The contrast with Verstappen’s own championship position is stark. After finishing second in Hungary, he sits sixth in the standings, 110 points behind Antonelli. Red Bull has also been off the pace of Mercedes at several events during the first half of the campaign.
Verstappen described the season as “a bit of a jungle” for him, while making clear that his enjoyment has depended heavily on how the car behaves.
“When the car is a bit nicer to drive, you can enjoy it a little bit more,” he said.
His assessment of Antonelli was nevertheless unequivocal, with Verstappen calling him “a very strong driver” and “a nice guy”.
Red Bull’s priorities for the second half are equally clear: the team must find more overall performance and address the losses that can emerge during a race weekend or develop between the start and finish of a Grand Prix.
“That is also actually a big priority,” Verstappen said.
His comments follow a difficult opening half for Red Bull, a period covered in the team’s search for answers after its Hungarian GP podium.
Simone Scanu
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.