{"id":3397,"date":"2026-10-04T07:45:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-04T10:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/?p=3397"},"modified":"2026-10-04T07:53:43","modified_gmt":"2026-10-04T10:53:43","slug":"antonelli-stretches-f1-lead-to-84-points-as-russells-sepang-retirement-proves-costly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/antonelli-stretches-f1-lead-to-84-points-as-russells-sepang-retirement-proves-costly\/","title":{"rendered":"Antonelli stretches F1 lead to 84 points as Russell\u2019s Sepang retirement proves costly"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">News Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Kimi Antonelli moves to 320 points, extending his advantage over George Russell to 84.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lewis Hamilton remains third, while Charles Leclerc moves ahead of Lando Norris.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mercedes leads Ferrari by 151 points in the constructors\u2019 championship.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Kimi Antonelli extended his championship lead to 84 points<\/strong> after finishing second in the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. The Mercedes driver collected 18 points at Sepang, while team-mate and closest challenger George Russell retired late and scored nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Antonelli now has <strong>320 points to Russell\u2019s 236<\/strong> in the <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/\">Formula 1<\/a> drivers\u2019 championship. Their gap increased from 66 points following a race in which both Mercedes drivers led before Max Verstappen took control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/verstappen-ends-win-drought-in-chaotic-sepang-race-as-hamilton-recovers-to-podium\/\">Verstappen\u2019s first victory of 2026<\/a> brings him to <strong>188 points<\/strong>, level with Lando Norris. The McLaren driver finished ninth and added only two points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Lewis Hamilton strengthened third place with 214 points<\/strong>, collecting 15 for his podium finish. Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc moves to 191 after finishing fourth, taking him ahead of Norris and Verstappen on points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Oscar Piastri remains seventh on 128, followed by Isack Hadjar on 96. Liam Lawson\u2019s seventh place brings him to 65, while Arvid Lindblad adds one point to reach 38. Fernando Alonso\u2019s eighth-place finish increases his total from three to seven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">F1 drivers\u2019 championship after Sepang<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Pos.<\/th><th>Driver<\/th><th>Team\/Engine<\/th><th>Points<\/th><th>Gap<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>1<\/td><td>K ANTONELLI<\/td><td>Mercedes<\/td><td>320<\/td><td>\u2014<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2<\/td><td>G RUSSELL<\/td><td>Mercedes<\/td><td>236<\/td><td>-84<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>3<\/td><td>L HAMILTON<\/td><td>Ferrari<\/td><td>214<\/td><td>-106<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>4<\/td><td>C LECLERC<\/td><td>Ferrari<\/td><td>191<\/td><td>-129<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>5<\/td><td>L NORRIS<\/td><td>McLaren Mercedes<\/td><td>188<\/td><td>-132<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>6<\/td><td>M VERSTAPPEN<\/td><td>Red Bull Ford<\/td><td>188<\/td><td>-132<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>7<\/td><td>O PIASTRI<\/td><td>McLaren Mercedes<\/td><td>128<\/td><td>-192<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>8<\/td><td>I HADJAR<\/td><td>Red Bull Ford<\/td><td>96<\/td><td>-224<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>9<\/td><td>L LAWSON<\/td><td>Racing Bulls RBPT Ford<\/td><td>65<\/td><td>-255<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>10<\/td><td>P GASLY<\/td><td>Alpine Mercedes<\/td><td>41<\/td><td>-279<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>11<\/td><td>A LINDBLAD<\/td><td>Racing Bulls RBPT Ford<\/td><td>38<\/td><td>-282<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>12<\/td><td>F COLAPINTO<\/td><td>Alpine Mercedes<\/td><td>27<\/td><td>-293<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>13<\/td><td>O BEARMAN<\/td><td>Haas Ferrari<\/td><td>20<\/td><td>-300<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>14<\/td><td>G BORTOLETO<\/td><td>Audi<\/td><td>10<\/td><td>-310<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>15<\/td><td>N H\u00dcLKENBERG<\/td><td>Audi<\/td><td>7<\/td><td>-313<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>16<\/td><td>E OCON<\/td><td>Haas Ferrari<\/td><td>7<\/td><td>-313<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>17<\/td><td>C SAINZ<\/td><td>Williams Mercedes<\/td><td>7<\/td><td>-313<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>18<\/td><td>F ALONSO<\/td><td>Aston Martin Honda<\/td><td>7<\/td><td>-313<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>19<\/td><td>A ALBON<\/td><td>Williams Mercedes<\/td><td>5<\/td><td>-315<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>20<\/td><td>Y TSUNODA<\/td><td>Racing Bulls RBPT Ford<\/td><td>1<\/td><td>-319<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>21<\/td><td>L STROLL<\/td><td>Aston Martin Honda<\/td><td>0<\/td><td>-320<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>22<\/td><td>V BOTTAS<\/td><td>Cadillac Ferrari<\/td><td>0<\/td><td>-320<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>23<\/td><td>S P\u00c9REZ<\/td><td>Cadillac Ferrari<\/td><td>0<\/td><td>-320<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ferrari reduces Mercedes\u2019 constructors\u2019 advantage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Mercedes remains comfortably ahead in the constructors\u2019 championship<\/strong>, reaching 556 points through Antonelli\u2019s second place. Ferrari\u2019s third-and-fourth finish adds 27 points, bringing its total to 405 and reducing the gap to 151.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">McLaren reaches 316 after collecting 10 points between Piastri and Norris. Red Bull scores <strong>35 points through Verstappen and Hadjar<\/strong>, moving to 298 and closing to within 18 of McLaren.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Racing Bulls adds seven points to reach 90. Alonso supplies Aston Martin\u2019s four-point gain, while Alpine, Haas, Audi, Williams and Cadillac leave Sepang without adding to their totals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">F1 constructors\u2019 championship after Sepang<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Pos.<\/th><th>Team<\/th><th>Points<\/th><th>Gap<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>1<\/td><td>Mercedes<\/td><td>556<\/td><td>\u2014<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2<\/td><td>Ferrari<\/td><td>405<\/td><td>-151<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>3<\/td><td>McLaren<\/td><td>316<\/td><td>-240<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>4<\/td><td>Red Bull<\/td><td>298<\/td><td>-258<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>5<\/td><td>Racing Bulls<\/td><td>90<\/td><td>-466<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>6<\/td><td>Alpine<\/td><td>68<\/td><td>-488<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>7<\/td><td>Haas<\/td><td>27<\/td><td>-529<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>8<\/td><td>Audi<\/td><td>17<\/td><td>-539<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>9<\/td><td>Williams<\/td><td>12<\/td><td>-544<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>10<\/td><td>Aston Martin<\/td><td>7<\/td><td>-549<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>11<\/td><td>Cadillac<\/td><td>0<\/td><td>-556<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Formula 1 returns next weekend, from <strong>9\u201311 October<\/strong>, for the <strong>Singapore Grand Prix at Marina Bay<\/strong>. <strong>GRANDE PR\u00caMIO<\/strong> will cover all the action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">F1 today: FAQ<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why did F1 cars lose power before the Bahrain GP in Malaysia?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The FIA identified a combination of low engine speed, low grip, wet-weather energy management settings and Sepang\u2019s sector configuration. It distributed a software update before the race and announced a full review with teams and power unit manufacturers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can Kimi Antonelli win the F1 championship in Singapore?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No. Antonelli leads George Russell by <strong>84 points<\/strong>, but even a Singapore Sprint and Grand Prix double would not secure the title. <strong>Austin on 25 October is his earliest possible opportunity<\/strong>, depending on his results and those of the remaining contenders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When is the next F1 race, and is Singapore a Sprint weekend?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The next race is the <strong>Singapore Grand Prix on 11 October<\/strong>, with track activity beginning on Friday, 9 October. It is a <strong>Sprint weekend<\/strong>: Sprint qualifying takes place on Friday, followed by the Sprint and Grand Prix qualifying on Saturday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mercedes driver finishes second behind Verstappen to increase his championship advantage, while Hamilton strengthens third place with a podium recovery.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1020316979,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"42wp_featured_image_caption":"Andrea Kimi Antonelli","42wp_featured_image_credits":"Alexander Seregin\/ASPPA Images Europe","42wp_featured_video":"","42wp_featured_image_hidden":false,"42wp_authors_list":[{"id":13,"location":""}],"footnotes":"","42wp_breaking_news":false},"categories":[5],"tags":[630,146,314,64],"42wp_author":[13],"class_list":["post-3397","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-f1","tag-bahrain-grand-prix-in-malaysia","tag-f1-standings","tag-kimi-antonelli","tag-max-verstappen","42wp_author-luana-marino"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3397","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3397"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3397\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3398,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3397\/revisions\/3398"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1020316979"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3397"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3397"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3397"},{"taxonomy":"42wp_author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/42wp_author?post=3397"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}