Verstappen framed his own vantage point almost apologetically when asked to pick the standout driver of the first half.
“That’s really impressive to see as an outsider,” the Red Bull driver said of Antonelli, speaking after finishing second at the Hungarian Grand Prix, the last race before Formula 1’s summer break.
At 19, Antonelli has taken his maiden win at Round 2 in China, followed it with a run of five consecutive victories, and now has seven wins to his name.
He leads Lewis Hamilton by 50 points and his own Mercedes teammate George Russell by 59 after 11 of 23 rounds.
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What Verstappen kept returning to was consistency.
“I think, if you look at the front, Kimi has done a really good job. Really strong, really solid, being the strongest in the team,” Verstappen said.
“I think, if he just keeps it going, of course, he’s also been very unlucky sometimes, so that’s been a bit of a shame, but as a 19-year-old, so far, I think he’s been rock solid.”
The outsider view from Red Bull
Verstappen’s use of “outsider” was not false modesty. He sits sixth on 109 points to Antonelli’s 219, and has spent much of the season fighting a Red Bull that has not matched the new-regulation Mercedes and Ferrari cars up front.
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That is what makes the assessment unusual. Verstappen spent four seasons as reigning champion, the man everyone else was chasing.
In 2026, he has been the one doing the watching, and the driver he keeps having to watch is nine years younger and in his rookie year.
Verstappen closed with a line about the person, not just the driver.
“He’s, first of all, a nice guy and a very strong driver, so that’s a good combination.”
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Zandvoort up next
The next race is at Zandvoort. The Dutch Grand Prix runs 21-23 August, Verstappen’s home race, and the first read on whether Antonelli’s grip on 2026 loosens or hardens after the break.
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