Montoya warns F1 rivals that Antonelli's winning comfort is hardest thing to stop

Kimi Antonelli won his fourth consecutive Formula 1 grand prix at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Sunday, extending his drivers’ championship lead to 43 points after Mercedes team-mate George Russell retired following a tense battle between the two drivers for the lead. The victory prompted former F1 race winner Juan Pablo Montoya to issue a stark warning to the rest of the paddock about the 19-year-old Italian’s trajectory.

“That’s the concerning part for the whole paddock, is how comfortable he is winning,” Montoya said on the F1 post-race show. “When you’re comfortable winning, it’s so hard to stop you.”

Montoya’s assessment centred not only on the result but on how Antonelli handled the aftermath of Russell’s retirement. After crossing the line, Antonelli admitted over team radio that it was not the way he had wanted to win, a moment of composure that Montoya highlighted as evidence of rapid maturation. “It just shows how quickly he’s maturing, how good he’s getting into that role and how comfortable he’s getting into that role,” he said.

The contrast with Saturday’s sprint race was notable. Antonelli had complained repeatedly over the radio that Russell pushed him off the track during their battle, frustrations that Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff quickly shut down, telling the young driver to keep the conversation private.

Montoya acknowledged the improvement in Antonelli’s mindset by Sunday. “I think apart from the small mistake Kimi made on the braking there, and he avoided it well, his mindset was better than yesterday,” he said.

The race itself was far from straightforward. Russell led for several laps and appeared to have Antonelli covered by more than a second before the gap closed and the two Mercedes drivers began trading positions. Both struggled with braking at Turn 10, a corner that caught out much of the field throughout the race, and Russell’s eventual retirement handed Antonelli a clear run to the flag.

With four wins from what has been a sensational start to the 2026 season, Antonelli now sits 43 points clear at the top of the standings, and Montoya’s warning suggests the rest of the grid may already be running out of answers.