Overview
- Antonelli has won three of the first four races, including Miami, to take the championship lead for Mercedes.
- At 19, he is the youngest driver ever to lead the Formula 1 standings, drawing wide attention to his rise.
- George Russell, about 20 points behind, called Miami frustrating but tipped a stronger run in Canada, where he won last year.
- Nico Rosberg hailed Antonelli as a karting “phenomenon” and said this Mercedes recalls the team’s early-2010s dominance, while warning it is early to judge a title bid.
- Toto Wolff tempered expectations by saying the teenager will make mistakes, as Mercedes and its rivals prepare upgrade packages for Montreal that could change the competitive order.