Kimi Antonelli arrives in Budapest this weekend assured of leading the drivers’ world championship into Formula 1’s summer break, but Mercedes are not treating the Hungarian Grand Prix as a formality. Despite holding a 45-point advantage, Antonelli and the team are braced for a tougher test at the Hungaroring, with Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari expected to be in the mix.
Antonelli’s momentum is clear after Belgium last Sunday, where he claimed his sixth win of the season from his sixth pole position. The result pushed him beyond immediate reach and reinforced the view that he has adapted quickly to the new hybrid era, which features AI-controlled engine and power management. The report notes that Antonelli’s aggressive driving style has helped him maximise the 50-50 battery and engine power packages, while managing electronic recharging and power deployment.
Wolff: Mercedes won’t prioritise one driver
While Antonelli has been converting pace into victories, Mercedes’ other side of the garage has endured a more turbulent run. George Russell, described as having a smoother driving style, sits 50 points behind in third place and has had to regroup as Ferrari have steadily closed the gap.
In Belgium, Russell retired after an opening-lap collision with former team-mate Hamilton, an incident that left him needing support from Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff. Wolff promised Russell an “arm around his shoulder” and also made clear that Mercedes would not switch focus to a single driver in pursuit of the title.
“We’ve shown at every race so far that the performance is there,” Wolff said. “But we haven’t converted enough of that potential into results… We’ve lost points through self-inflicted issues and we know we need to improve.”
Wolff also stressed the importance of avoiding costly internal battles that could open the door to rivals. He said he did not want to see the drivers losing “time with each other,” warning against “yo-yoing” that could allow “a Ferrari or a Red Bull breathing down our necks and lose a victory.”
That approach, Wolff explained, means Mercedes would “never take a victory away” from either driver, regardless of whether it is “Kimi or George who was ahead.”
Wolff dismisses Ferrari talk around Antonelli
Off track, Wolff also addressed reports linking Antonelli with Ferrari, which would make him their first Italian driver since Giancarlo Fisichella in 2009. Wolff said Mercedes were aware of the speculation, but pointed to Antonelli’s long association with the team.
“We’re aware,” Wolff said. “But Kimi has been a Mercedes driver since he was 11 – Ferrari should have done the job six or seven years ago.”
Why Hungary could bring Hamilton and Ferrari into play
On track, Ferrari are expected to be a threat at the Hungaroring, described as slow, twisty and technical. The weekend also carries added significance for Hamilton, who is chasing a record-equalling milestone: he is seeking to match his own record of nine wins at a single circuit, a mark he set at Silverstone.
The article also looks back to last year’s Hungarian weekend, when Hamilton qualified and finished 12th and Antonelli was 10th, with both drivers struggling during difficult spells of form that they have since dispelled this season.
Hamilton’s Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc took pole last year and finished fourth behind world champion Lando Norris, Norris’s McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri and Russell. That result, combined with recent form, suggests McLaren could again challenge for victory, with Red Bull close behind after four-time champion Max Verstappen finished a strong third in Belgium.
Even so, the outlook presented is that it is difficult to see beyond Antonelli and Hamilton vying for victory on Sunday, setting up a key pre-break showdown at a circuit where qualifying and execution have often proved decisive.
Further down the grid, Aston Martin have endured a hugely disappointing season with just one point scored so far. They are set to introduce a major upgrade package from design chief Adrian Newey in an attempt to rescue their year. A revised power package from Honda is not due until the Dutch Grand Prix, and the report adds that the future of two-time champion Fernando Alonso may depend on the success of both developments in the coming weeks.
