Antonelli Acknowledges Mercedes' Development Struggles Against McLaren and Ferrari
Kimi Antonelli admits that Mercedes is trailing behind McLaren and Ferrari in the F1 development race after a challenging qualifying session in Hungary. Despite his struggles, Antonelli remains optimistic about Mercedes' race pace.
After a tough qualifying day at the Hungaroring, Kimi Antonelli has acknowledged that Mercedes is slipping behind McLaren and Ferrari in the development stakes. Ending the session with the best Mercedes in P4 might have been seen as a blip in their otherwise strong 2026 form. Before even taking into account Antonelli's grid penalty for not adhering to a yellow flag in Q3, it was clear the car wasn’t quite in the fight.
Antonelli, who’s been a regular pole-sitter, found himself outpaced by both McLaren and Ferrari. His final qualifying attempt was hampered by a yellow flag when Max Verstappen spun ahead of him. "Yes, for sure," Antonelli said when probed about the impact of the yellow flag. "I had to coast all the way into the apex, knowing there was time to gain. It was frustrating because I think we could have secured P3."
His day worsened when the stewards penalized him for not slowing sufficiently for the yellow flags, dropping him to P7. Struggles with tyre performance were also a thorn in Antonelli's side. "From Turn 1, the grip just wasn’t there," he explained, citing a lack of traction and confidence.
Mercedes has faced challenges from McLaren and Ferrari at various circuits this year. Antonelli wasn't surprised to see both teams ahead this weekend given their recent upgrades. "Ferrari brought a new rear wing, McLaren a new floor, but we haven’t upgraded our downforce package for a while," he noted.
The development race is heating up, with McLaren and Ferrari making significant strides. "McLaren's new floor and Ferrari's rear wing have given them an edge. We need to keep our heads down because it’s going to be a battle until the end," Antonelli admitted.
The Italian driver also felt the pinch of missing FP1, having handed his car to reserve driver Fred Vesti. "I probably picked the wrong race to skip FP1," he mused, acknowledging the loss of valuable track time and setup insights.
Despite these challenges, Antonelli is upbeat about the race prospects. "Our long-run pace is stronger than our single-lap performance. We’re hoping for a good start and to make the most of it," he concluded, eyeing a positive end before the summer break.