Netherlands: Mercedes no longer have the fastest car in Formula One, championship leader Kimi Antonelli said after McLaren secured another dominant result at the Dutch Grand Prix.
Lando Norris claimed his second consecutive victory from pole position at Zandvoort, while Antonelli finished second and Mercedes teammate George Russell took third. Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc completed the top five.
Antonelli said McLaren had made significant progress since introducing its major upgrade package at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Antonelli remarked that, “We’re clearly not the fastest car any more on the grid. We’re probably second or third, at least in today’s race, and McLaren has taken a huge step.”
Norris, however, disagreed with the Mercedes driver’s assessment and argued that his performance also played a major role in securing victory. The McLaren driver said his team now had a car capable of challenging Mercedes, but acknowledged that Mercedes appeared stronger in slower corners. McLaren, meanwhile, has developed a clear advantage at high-speed sections.
The results from Zandvoort and the previous race in Budapest have suited McLaren’s strengths, although upcoming circuits could provide a different challenge. Ferrari will be expected to perform strongly at its home race in Monza next month, particularly with further upgrades planned.
Despite McLaren’s recent improvement, Mercedes remains comfortably ahead in the constructors’ championship. The team also scored the most points over the Dutch Grand Prix weekend, collecting 46 compared with McLaren’s 43 and Ferrari’s 31.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella expects Mercedes to continue developing its car. He suggested that the team could have significant performance potential in the wind tunnel that has yet to be translated into track upgrades.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said cost-cap restrictions had affected the pace at which the team could introduce developments, with upgrades being scheduled according to the team’s championship calculations.
Antonelli now faces another challenge in his bid to become Formula One’s youngest-ever champion.
Mercedes plans to replace his power unit ahead of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, resulting in a grid penalty after he exceeds his permitted allocation of key components. Wolff defended the decision, saying Mercedes’ calculations indicated that Monza was the most suitable venue to take the penalty. The high-speed circuit offers strong opportunities for overtaking, giving Antonelli a chance to recover positions during the race.
Antonelli, who turns 20, accepted the strategy and remains confident that he can score valuable points despite starting further down the grid. With 11 rounds remaining, Antonelli holds an 83-point advantage over Norris as the championship battle enters a crucial phase of the season.
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