Third in the Hungarian Grand Prix, Kimi Antonelli leaves at the top of the championship with a 50-point lead and believes he has achieved an excellent result.
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Kimi Antonelli left Budapest with a sense of accomplishment. Starting only seventh after his three-place grid penalty, the Mercedes driver ultimately climbed to the third step of the podium behind Lando Norris and Max Verstappen.
To achieve this, Mercedes attempted a strategic gamble by delaying their pit stop and considering a one-stop race.
An option ultimately abandoned when tire wear became too significant.
“The race was difficult. It was really complicated to overtake, so we had to try something strategically. Initially, we tried to go for a one-stop.”
A gamble ultimately abandoned
Antonelli explains that his team quickly understood that this strategy could not work until the checkered flag.
“I tried to go the distance with a single stop, but the team warned me that the tires were really reaching their limit. So we decided to pit.”
The Virtual Safety Car caused by Oscar Piastri’s retirement then reshuffled the cards. The two Ferraris took advantage to make another stop, while Antonelli remained on track with his hard tires.
The young Italian then knew that defending his position would not be easy.
“With the Virtual Safety Car, both Ferraris pitted. I knew it would be difficult because they were on soft tires while I was on hard tires, but fortunately we managed to keep them behind.”
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A championship turning in his favor
Thanks to this third place, Antonelli further strengthens his position as leader of the world championship.
The Mercedes driver now has 219 points, which is 50 more than Lewis Hamilton, his closest pursuer. George Russell, only seventh at the finish after a completely missed start, is now 59 points behind.
Under these conditions, Antonelli believes he has achieved an excellent result in the championship.
“It was the best way to approach the summer break. Today, we mainly limited the damage.”
A second half of the season that promises to be intense
Despite this comfortable lead, Antonelli refuses to consider the title as a given.
The Mercedes driver expects a much more contested second half of the season, especially against a McLaren that seems to have regained its form thanks to its significant developments.
“We must continue to push because the second half of the season will be difficult. We will give our maximum until the end.”
With a 50-point lead in the championship and another podium to his name, Antonelli will nevertheless approach the summer break in the best possible position to defend his world ambitions.
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