Antonelli: Mercedes “Not the Fastest Car” After Zandvoort Loss

Key Takeaways

What Antonelli Said After Zandvoort

Antonelli said Mercedes is “clearly not the fastest car anymore on the grid” after being passed by Lando Norris during the Dutch Grand Prix. Speaking after the race at Zandvoort, the Mercedes driver, who races under Mercedes colours, rated his own car as “probably second or third” on pace on the day. He pointed to a specific turning point: “McLaren has taken a huge step, especially since Hungary, since the big upgrade package they brought.” The comment followed a weekend in which Norris, driving for McLaren, took his second consecutive victory of the 2026 season, having also beaten Antonelli to the win in Hungary.

Despite the on-track defeat, Antonelli’s position in the standings remains commanding. He holds a 59-point lead in the drivers’ championship, a gap built over the earlier part of the season before McLaren’s recent form turned two races in a row into Norris wins.

McLaren’s Back-to-Back Zandvoort and Hungary Wins

McLaren’s win at Zandvoort was its second straight victory of 2026, following Norris’s triumph in Hungary. Both circuits share characteristics that appear to suit the current McLaren package: long corners, high tyre degradation, and races run on two-stop strategies. Antonelli’s teammate George Russell drew the direct comparison, saying “It’s a very similar circuit with the long corners, high tyre degradation, with the two-stop strategy, so there’s a lot of similarities between the two circuits.”

Russell added that he does not see the pattern as a surprise given Norris’s Budapest form carried directly into Zandvoort. He suggested the trend could extend further: “I think this may continue for the coming two or three races until we start to bring more to the car, and fingers crossed our competitors don’t.”

Mercedes’ Response: A New Package on the Way

Mercedes is working on an upgrade package for its W17 that the team hopes will restore its competitive edge. Antonelli confirmed the development is ongoing but stressed the team’s caution: “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.” He acknowledged the immediate outlook is tougher, saying “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.”

Antonelli framed the situation as temporary rather than structural, adding hope that Mercedes could again take the initiative: “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.”

Looking Ahead to Monza

George Russell expects Mercedes to be “slightly more competitive” at the next round in Monza, the fastest circuit on the F1 calendar. He cautioned that Ferrari could complicate that picture, noting “I believe Ferrari have an engine upgrade incoming, and the truth is we just don’t know.” Monza’s low-downforce, high-speed layout is a different test to Zandvoort and Hungary, and Russell’s read is that Mercedes should find more of its natural pace there even before any new parts arrive.

For Antonelli, the immediate task is defending his championship lead through a stretch where McLaren’s car appears to hold an edge, while Mercedes finalises the upgrade it hopes will shift momentum back in its favour before the season reaches its final stages.

Podium Visuals and Livery Moments Worth Collecting

Zandvoort’s back-to-back podium ceremonies have put both the Mercedes and McLaren liveries in front of a global audience twice in two race weekends. Norris’s papaya McLaren helmet and Antonelli’s Mercedes design have both featured prominently in podium and parc ferme coverage from Hungary and the Netherlands, giving fans two fresh visual reference points from a season already defined by tight title-fight optics. For collectors, moments like these, a title contender narrowly beaten twice by the same rival, tend to be exactly what make a given season’s helmet designs worth owning as full-size 1:1 display pieces rather than just race-weekend memories.

Anyone following Antonelli’s championship push this year can find his 2026 design reproduced as an exhibition-quality piece for a home display case or office shelf.

FAQ

Q: Why did Antonelli say Mercedes is not the fastest car?
Antonelli said this after being passed by Lando Norris at the Dutch Grand Prix, the second race in a row where McLaren’s Norris beat him, following the upgrade package McLaren introduced around the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Q: How big is Antonelli’s championship lead?
Antonelli holds a 59-point lead in the 2026 drivers’ championship despite finishing behind Norris in both Hungary and at Zandvoort.

Q: Has McLaren won more than one race in a row?
Yes, McLaren has won two consecutive races in 2026, with Lando Norris taking victory in Hungary and then again at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort.

Q: What does Mercedes plan to do to respond?
Mercedes is developing a new upgrade package for its W17 car, which Antonelli says the team wants to validate carefully before fitting it to the car.

Q: Will Mercedes be more competitive at Monza?
George Russell expects Mercedes to be slightly more competitive at Monza, the fastest circuit on the calendar, though he noted Ferrari may also bring an engine upgrade that could change the picture.

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