News Summary
- Lando Norris described Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s 2026 performance as “pretty scary” after the Mercedes driver extended his championship lead in Madrid.
- Norris highlighted Antonelli’s ability to beat the experienced George Russell and said the Italian does not look like a driver in only his second F1 season.
- Antonelli has won 8 of the first 14 races and leads Russell by 81 points with 9 rounds remaining.
Lando Norris believes Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s performances in 2026 have reached a level that is difficult to associate with a 20-year-old in only his second Formula 1 season, describing the Mercedes driver’s championship campaign as “pretty scary”.
Antonelli strengthened his position at the top of the standings by winning the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid, his eighth victory in 14 races. The result extended his advantage over Mercedes team-mate George Russell to 81 points, leaving the Italian firmly in control of the title fight with 9 rounds remaining.
Norris, the reigning world champion, believes the most telling measure of Antonelli’s season is not simply the points or victories, but what he has achieved against Russell.
“He’s 80 points ahead because he’s doing an incredible job. He’s beating a much more experienced team-mate, and a very good team-mate, so I don’t want to give him any advice because, at just 20 years old, he’s doing a pretty scary job. It’s really impressive,” Norris said during the press conference in Madrid, attended by GRANDE PRÊMIO.
Norris also pointed to Antonelli’s consistency. After a rookie campaign in which flashes of speed were accompanied by the expected learning process, the Mercedes driver has turned his second season into a sustained championship run.
“I think it’s really cool to see someone so young doing such an incredible job and, most likely, going on to win the title. He’s impressed since the first race this year. He’s made very few mistakes. He just doesn’t drive like someone who’s only in his second year of F1, that’s for sure,” he added.
The praise is particularly significant given Norris’s own position. McLaren has won races in 2026 — Norris has 2 victories and came close to adding another in Madrid — but has not consistently matched Mercedes across different circuits.
Madrid provided another example. McLaren had enough pace to challenge at the front, but Antonelli ultimately converted Mercedes’ opportunity into another victory and further strengthened a championship position that has become increasingly difficult for his rivals to challenge.
Norris nevertheless expects the Antonelli rivalry to extend well beyond the current season.
“We’ll have many, many years of fighting ahead and I’m excited for us to keep battling, hopefully still this year, and also for all of us to continue racing together in the future. I’m looking forward to it,” he said.
For Antonelli, the compliment adds another voice to a growing list of rivals acknowledging the scale of his second F1 season. Max Verstappen has already praised the Mercedes driver’s work, while Russell has conceded that his own championship prospects have become increasingly remote after Madrid.
The striking part is how quickly the conversation has changed. Antonelli entered 2026 as one of the grid’s most closely watched young drivers. Fourteen races later, his age and experience are becoming secondary to the fact that everyone else is trying to catch him.
Formula 1 now takes a weekend off before returning for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku from September 24-26. Follow all the latest championship news and analysis through the GRANDE PRÊMIO English F1 coverage.
FAQ
How many races has Andrea Kimi Antonelli won in F1 in 2026?
Antonelli has won 8 of the first 14 races of the 2026 Formula 1 season, including the most recent Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid.
How many points ahead is Antonelli in the 2026 F1 championship?
Antonelli leads Mercedes team-mate George Russell by 81 points with 9 rounds remaining in the season.
What did Lando Norris say about Kimi Antonelli?
Norris praised Antonelli’s ability to beat a highly experienced team-mate in Russell and described his performance at just 20 years old as “pretty scary”. He also said Antonelli does not look like a driver competing in only his second F1 season.
