Kimi Antonelli heads into the second half of the season with the calm of a championship leader. A 50-point cushion over Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari gives him breathing room, but that doesn't mean he can relax. After a short summer break, the Mercedes driver faces a tough challenge at Zandvoort—a circuit that might not favour him.
Mercedes is still running the same aero package from Canada, while rivals continue to push forward. McLaren, for instance, introduced a major upgrade in Hungary that delivered immediate results. Ferrari isn't standing still either: they plan to bring a new floor in the Netherlands and a new engine with the ADUO system for the Monza GP.
Interestingly, Antonelli points to Ferrari as the main threat to Mercedes in the remaining races, not McLaren, who arrive as favourites at Zandvoort. “I think Ferrari will be the main rival in the second half of the season,” he said. “They have a new floor here and will get a new engine at Monza. We'll see how much they gain.”
For this weekend, though, he puts McLaren ahead. “They've always been strong here, so I think they're the favourites, ahead of Ferrari,” said the Bologna-born driver. He also reminded that Max Verstappen will always be a threat, especially if rain mixes things up.
Antonelli also highlighted Mercedes' lack of upgrades since Canada. “Other teams keep developing, while we're standing still. It's normal that they close the gap and on some tracks they can be faster,” he explained. Still, he remains calm—his team's long-term strategy is beginning to show, with a big package scheduled for early October.
Originally, the upgrade was set to debut in Singapore, but the addition of Sepang to the calendar sparked an internal debate at Brackley. Now, there's a chance to bring it forward by a week. This could be a crucial moment for Mercedes to respond to the pressure from the top two teams.
With a 50-point lead, Antonelli can drive with a cool head. But at Zandvoort, the cool sea breeze might not be enough—he'll have to fight against hungry papaya and stinging red. One thing is certain: the second half of the season will be a true battleground.
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