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Verstappen unsurprised by Antonelli's strong second F1 season
Andrea Kimi Antonelli has already pulled ahead of teammate George Russell this season, a development that Max Verstappen predicted early on.
By Lesley Bakker - 2026-07-16T16:42:31.000Z - 2 min read
Andrea Kimi Antonelli is making an impressive leap in his second Formula 1 season. With many races still remaining, the young driver already holds a 25-point lead over his experienced teammate George Russell. This stands in sharp contrast to last year, when Russell finished the season with more than double the points of the then-rookie.
Max Verstappen stated that this development comes as no surprise to him. The three-time world champion spotted Antonelli's potential long before he made the jump from karting to single-seaters. In particular, his talent in the 'shifter' category, where he performed strongly right away among established names, stood out to him as an early sign of raw talent.
The transition to Formula 1 was rapid for Antonelli, who bypassed Formula 3 and spent just a single season in Formula 2. His first year featured a noticeable mid-season dip, but Verstappen emphasizes that mistakes are normal for newcomers. These get amplified when driving for a top team, but the underlying potential was always there.
The Dutchman recognizes the challenges of a rapid rise; he himself moved up to Formula 1 after just one season in single-seater racing. His early years in the top tier were a learning curve in which he gained valuable experience. But you simply cannot turn down an opportunity like that in F1, according to Verstappen, who was glad to take on the challenge.