By 
Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s strong position in the lead of the championship standings at the summer break is remarkable enough already for a driver in his second season in Formula 1.
Advert |
But what makes his position all the more impressive is that, arguably, no single driver has yet emerged as his clear rival. Antonelli has won six of the 11 rounds so far, more than the rest put together, and only his team mate George Russell has taken multiple wins.
Despite that, Russell is not Antonelli’s closest rival in the standings: Lewis Hamilton is leading a resurgent Ferrari. Plus, the final round before the summer break saw McLaren claim their first victory of the season. Three of the last five grands prix were won by teams other than Mercedes – could Antonelli biggest threat come from one of them?
Lewis Hamilton
50 points behind
The possibility of Hamilton fighting for the championship against the driver who took the Mercedes seat he vacated last year is a compelling narrative. But is it a likely outcome? Hamilton is Antonelli’s closest rival in the points but has missed opportunities due to penalties in recent races.
George Russell
59 points behind
Russell should be Antonelli’s closest rival for the championship but various factors have left him well behind including unreliability (not that Antonelli has been immune), some misfortune and his risky first-lap lunge at Spa. He’s also on course to incur a power unit change penalty before his team mate. Still, Russell should have the equipment and the experience to put Antonelli under pressure.
Charles Leclerc
81 points behind
Hamilton may be closer to Antonelli in the standings but Charles Leclerc has arguably looked more competitive. Providing he avoids a repeat of the dip he fell into around Spain and Monaco, he could emerge as Antonelli’s biggest threat.
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
Lando Norris
91 points behind
Like Mercedes, unreliability has dogged McLaren this year. They often haven’t been quick enough either, though Norris has now won both a grand prix and a sprint race. The MCL40’s Hungaroring upgrade clearly paid off, and may prove enough to bring the McLarens into regular contention. The reigning world champion is a long way behind, though.
Max Verstappen
110 points behind
If last year demonstrated anything, it is unwise to write off Max Verstappen if he is not mathematically out of contention. Having been 104 points off the lead with 249 remaining, he eventually lost by the narrowest margin in F1 history (relatively). But lying 110 points behind in a car which hasn’t won a grand prix yet may be too much even for him.
Oscar Piastri
127 points behind
Oscar Piastri has proved a close match on pace for his team mate as usual but he’s even further behind in the standings. He went into the final round of last season with a shot at the championship but that doesn’t look likely to happen this year.
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
Isack Hadjar
151 points behind
Isack Hadjar has impressed with the quality of his performances alongside Verstappen and may yet recover the points he dropped after losing his podium finish in Monaco. But his points deficit to Antonelli is surely too large and the Red Bull not competitive enough yet for him to be a realistic title contender.
I say
Hamilton may be closest in the points but Russell surely has the better combination of opportunity and equipment at the moment. If he can stop the rot in the second half of the season I would back him to put Antonelli under pressure for the title.
You say
Who do you think has the best opportunity to beat Antonelli to this year’s title? Cast your vote below and have your say in the comments.
Which of Antonelli’s rivals is his biggest threat for the championship this year?
- No opinion (3%)
- Isack Hadjar (3%)
- Oscar Piastri (0%)
- Max Verstappen (0%)
- Lando Norris (13%)
- Charles Leclerc (3%)
- George Russell (48%)
- Lewis Hamilton (29%)
Total Voters: 31
A RaceFans account is required in order to vote. If you do not have one, register an account here or read more about registering here. When this poll is closed the result will be displayed instead of the voting form.
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
Debates and polls
- Where in Europe should F1 race if the final two rounds cannot go ahead?
- Is there any fair solution to Formula 1’s Monaco Grand Prix mess?
- Yo-yo racing, speed cuts, performance balancing: Is F1 too artificial now?
- Poll: Has the time finally come for Hamilton to hang up his helmet?
- Should Formula 1 drivers be penalised for failing to “respect the sport”?
Browse all debates and polls