Mercedes no longer have the fastest car in F1, says leader Antonelli

Published On 24 Aug 202624 Aug 2026McLaren have taken a big step forward and Mercedes no longer have the quickest car in Formula One, championship leader Kimi Antonelli said after the Dutch Grand Prix.McLaren’s reigning champion Lando Norris celebrated his second win in a row from pole position at Zandvoort on Sunday, with Antonelli and Mercedes teammate George Russell finishing second and third, ahead of Ferrari pair Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4‘Simply lovely’: Verstappen extends with F1 Red Bull Racing until 2030list 2 of 4Norris finally wins a race in 2026 with Hungarian Grand Prix triumphlist 3 of 4Formula One returns to Malaysia as Sepang circuit hosts Bahrain Grand Prixlist 4 of 4F1 needs better balance between business and sport, says Norrisend of list“We’re clearly not the fastest car any more on the grid,” said Antonelli, who won five races in a row earlier in the season.“We’re probably second or third, at least in today’s race, and McLaren has taken a huge step, especially since Hungary, since the big upgrade package they brought.”However, Norris, who lost out to Antonelli at the race restart and then had to overtake hi...