Rosberg warns Antonelli could grow 'panicked' if McLaren and Ferrari close the gap

Nico Rosberg has warned that Kimi Antonelli risks becoming “more and more panicked” in the 2026 Formula 1 title fight if McLaren and Ferrari close the gap on the Mercedes driver, who currently leads the standings by 81 points over team-mate George Russell.

Antonelli extended that advantage with victory at the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix at the Madring circuit, though the win owed much to a well-timed virtual safety car. Speaking to the media after the race, the 18-year-old was candid about the circumstances, acknowledging that Lando Norris would likely have taken the win without that intervention.

Rosberg, the 2016 world champion, drew direct parallels to his own title-winning season when reflecting on the pressure Antonelli could face. “The worst-case scenario is if suddenly McLaren starts to edge away and maybe there’s also a Ferrari improvement or something, and that Kimi starts to drop back into the pack a little bit more,” Rosberg said.

The German described how a similar dynamic played out during his own championship run, when a dip in form saw him slip back toward the midfield in the final four races. “I was always at some point, even in Mexico, in qualifying until the last moment — actually only sixth in the rankings in Q3 until the last moment,” he recalled. “In each of those races, I was P3 at some point, and not P2, and [Max] Verstappen was banging into me like every single race.”

Rosberg’s warning centres on the compounding nature of that kind of pressure. “If he were to drop back into the pack ever so slightly again, the risk just comes up, and you start to get more and more panicked about things,” he added.

For now, Antonelli’s lead remains substantial, but the 2026 season is far from over. The next test comes at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the 15th round of the season, scheduled for 24-26 September in Baku.