Kimi Antonelli finished third in the Hungarian GP on Sunday. The young Italian driver only had to let Lando Norris and Max Verstappen pass him. He benefited from a well-thought-out Mercedes strategy, which ultimately earned him another podium finish and good points leading up to the summer break. Antonelli still comfortably leads the world championship.
Read more Max Verstappen pleasantly surprised by podium finish in Hungary: ‘This is unexpected’
“It was a tough race,” Antonelli reacted afterwards, visibly tired. “Overtaking was incredibly difficult, so we focused on a good strategy. I wanted to try the one-stopper, but according to the team, that wasn’t possible. Then we had a bit of luck with the virtual safety car; both Ferraris came in. It was difficult to defend on the hard tire, but in the end, we managed to keep them behind me.”
Read more Result Hungarian Grand Prix 2026
About his position in the world championship after this first half of the season: “No, I never expected this. I am incredibly happy. This is how you want to go into the summer break. Today was about damage limitation, but we are not giving up easily. We will do our best to carry this momentum into the second half of the season.”
Read more Starting grid Hungarian GP: Norris on pole, Verstappen benefits from grid penalties
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