BREAKING: Kimi Antonelli admits that Mercedes are no longer…Read more

Kimi Antonelli has admitted that Mercedes no longer has the fastest car on the Formula 1 grid, raising fresh questions about the team’s ability to maintain its advantage in the championship battle.

The Mercedes rookie arrived at the Dutch Grand Prix as the championship leader, but McLaren delivered another impressive performance at Zandvoort. Lando Norris secured his second consecutive victory after starting from pole, while Antonelli had to settle for second place.

The result highlighted a growing change in the competitive order. Mercedes had enjoyed a strong run earlier in the season, but McLaren’s recent development programme has significantly improved its performance, particularly following the introduction of a major upgrade after the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Antonelli acknowledged that McLaren has taken a significant step forward and conceded that Mercedes is no longer the benchmark for outright pace.

Despite the warning signs, the Italian remains confident that Mercedes can respond. The team continues to work on extracting more performance from its car, while its engineers believe there is still additional potential available through further development.

Norris, meanwhile, has been careful not to suggest that McLaren has completely overturned Mercedes’ advantage. The reigning champion believes the Mercedes remains particularly strong in slower corners, meaning the competitive picture could continue to change depending on the characteristics of each circuit.

The championship battle is therefore becoming increasingly unpredictable. Antonelli continues to lead the drivers’ standings, but Norris’ back-to-back victories have given McLaren renewed momentum at a crucial stage of the season. Sky Sports has also identified Norris as an increasingly serious threat to Antonelli’s title challenge.

Mercedes still leads the constructors’ championship, but the team now faces a major development battle against McLaren. With the cost-cap regulations limiting how freely teams can spend on upgrades, Mercedes must carefully choose where to invest its remaining development resources.

The next races could therefore prove crucial. If McLaren maintains its recent pace while Mercedes struggles to respond, Antonelli’s championship advantage could come under increasing pressure.

For the young Mercedes driver, the message is clear: the fight for the 2026 Formula 1 championship is far from over, and McLaren may have just changed the momentum of the title race.