Verstappen Hails "Really Impressive" Kimi Antonelli
Four-time Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen heaped praise on the current F1 championship leader, Kimi Antonelli. The Dutchman has been impressed by the young Italian, who could win the title at the tender age of just 20 later this year.
Video Transcript
Max Verstappen has delivered glowing praise for championship leader Kimi Antonelli.
The four-time world champion says that the Mercedes teenager has been rock solid throughout the first half of the 2026 Formula 1 season, and coming from one of the most toughest competitors on the grid, it's one of the biggest compliments that Antonelli could receive.
Now, reflecting on the first half of the season, Verstappen described Antonelli's performances as really impressive.
He praised the Italian's consistency, his maturity under pressure, and the way he's avoided costly mistakes despite leading the world championship.
Now, Verstappen believes Antonelli has handled the pressure of fighting at the front remarkably well for such a young driver.
Now, we look at Antonelli's campaign.
It's been nothing short of extraordinary.
After taking his maiden F1 victory in China, he went on an incredible run of five consecutive wins, including the Monaco Grand Prix, and along the way, he became the youngest ever driver to lead the Formula One World Championship.
And heading into the summer break, the 19-year-old sits comfortably atop of the standings to the tune of 50 points or whatever.
Verstappen knows exactly what it is or what it takes to succeed at a young age.
He burst onto the scene as a teenager as well and became the sport's youngest ever race winner at 18.
And that's why his assessment of Antonelli carries extra weight.
Rather than focusing on outli- outright speed, Verstappen highlighted Antonelli's consistency as the quality that has impressed him the most.
Week after week, the Mercedes driver has delivered where it matters.
And for me, I think Hungary was a defining race for Antonelli's championship challenge.
It was a weekend where Mercedes lacked pace.
They weren't the quickest.
Antonelli wasn't the quickest either.
But it was a weekend of damage limitation, and we know that the world champions, the, the greats of the sport can have those weekends where they still maximize a result even if they're not the fastest.
He finished on the podium but he was crucially ahead of his championship rivals, the Ferraris, George Russell as well.
So i- in a weekend where he could have easily lost points to his championship rivals, he actually gained more.
So I think that's really a hallmark of someone who's having a stellar season and can drive maturely, so well beyond his years, definitely.
So while Antonelli leads the championship, the season is far from over, and Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari continue to chase.
McLaren is gaining momentum after recent upgrades, and Verstappen expects the competition to become tougher after the summer break.
Maintaining that consistency will be crucial if Antonelli wants to turn a brilliant first half into the championship-winning season.
And again, we must caution what happened to Oscar Piastri last year who found himself in a similar situation where he led the first half of the championship and it was only in the back quarter that he lost it, with some pretty questionable performances.
So Max Verstappen, he doesn't hand out compliments lightly.
Calling Kimi Antonelli rock solid speaks volumes.
The teenager has already broken records for Mercedes, earned the respect of his rivals, and established himself as one of Formula 1's newest superstars.
Now, the biggest challenge still lies ahead.
Can Antonelli finish the job and become Formula 1's youngest ever world champion at just the age of 20?
