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Kimi Antonelli claims Mercedes no longer has fastest Formula One car following Dutch Grand Prix
McLaren's Lando Norris disputed the championship leader's assessment after securing his second consecutive win at Zandvoort.
The short version
- Formula One championship leader Kimi Antonelli stated Mercedes has fallen behind McLaren in car pace following Lando Norris's victory at the Dutch Grand Prix.
- Norris rejected Antonelli's assessment, attributing his recent wins to driver performance while arguing Mercedes maintains a superior overall vehicle balance.
- Antonelli faces a grid penalty at his home Italian Grand Prix at Monza due to a scheduled tactical power unit change.
Key facts
- Lando Norris won the Dutch Grand Prix from pole position, finishing ahead of Mercedes drivers Kimi Antonelli and George Russell.[Al Jazeera]
- Antonelli stated McLaren's recent upgrades made their car the fastest on the grid, placing Mercedes second or third in race pace.[Al Jazeera]
- Norris disputed Antonelli's statement, asserting Mercedes still has a better all-around car despite McLaren's advantage in high-speed sections.[Al Jazeera]
- Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff stated cost cap limitations affect how quickly the team can introduce car development upgrades.[Al Jazeera]
- Antonelli will incur a grid penalty at the upcoming Italian Grand Prix at Monza due to a planned engine component swap.[Al Jazeera]
- Norris remains 83 points behind Antonelli in the drivers' championship with 11 races remaining in the season.[Al Jazeera]
What remains uncertain
- The exact number of remaining races in the season depends on potential calendar modifications linked to developments in the Middle East.[Al Jazeera]