Mercedes "clearly" not F1's best team anymore

Formula 1 championship leader Kimi Antonelli reckons Mercedes “clearly” no longer boasts the fastest car after finishing runner-up to Lando Norris at the Dutch Grand Prix.

The McLaren driver made it consecutive wins from pole at Zandvoort aboard a heavily upgraded MCL40, making it just two victories in six for Mercedes due to Ferrari also claiming a couple.

It marks a far cry from the dominant start the Silver Arrows enjoyed to 2026 by winning the opening six grands prix from pole, before the development race took shape.

“We’re clearly not the fastest car anymore on the grid,” claimed Antonelli. “We’re probably second or third, at least in today’s race, and McLaren has taken a huge step, especially since Hungary, since the big upgrade package they brought.

“But I’m confident with the team. The team has been working super hard on this next package that is coming up and they just want to make sure that it’s going to work out well once we put it on.

“So for sure, in this race, it’s going to be more difficult, it’s going to be challenging, but we’re ready to do our best and to maximise every opportunity.

“And then hopefully it’s going to be our turn to bring the package that’s going to give us a little bit of the upper hand again.”

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, George Russell, Mercedes, Lando Norris, McLaren (Photo by: Michael Potts / LAT Images via Getty Images)

Mercedes had already teased a ‘sizeable’ upgrade in this second half of the campaign with it yet to be confirmed where that will take place, as both the drivers’ and constructors’ title battles near their climax.

Antonelli leads team-mate George Russell and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton by 59 points, while Mercedes holds an 87-point advantage over the Italian outfit in second.

That’s despite “a challenging couple of weekends” according to Russell, who finished seventh in Budapest and third at Zandvoort ahead of Monza in two weeks’ time.

“I think we will be slightly more competitive there,” added the Briton, whose team-mate will carry a grid penalty for an engine swap.

“However, I believe Ferrari have an engine upgrade incoming and the truth is we just don't know. But I do believe that these high degradation circuits really suit McLaren very well and especially Lando.

“He's always been a bit of specialist in those conditions. We also saw it last year. Monza may be slightly different, but I think they have to be the team to beat right now.”