Russell and Hamilton concede 2026 title as Antonelli stretches lead to 81 points

Kimi Antonelli tightened his grip on the 2026 Formula 1 world championship at the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid, stretching his lead over Mercedes team-mate George Russell to 81 points and drawing concessions from both Russell and Lewis Hamilton that the title race is effectively over for them.

After 14 rounds, Antonelli leads Russell by 81 points, with Hamilton a further 20 adrift at 101, and Lando Norris 106 points back. The 20-year-old Italian’s victory in Spain — aided by a well-timed Virtual Safety Car — followed an emotionally charged home win at Monza, silencing a growing narrative around Mercedes’ apparent lack of mid-season development.

“I’m not going to say it’s over, but it’s exceptionally unlikely that I’m in this fight,” Russell admitted after finishing fifth at the Madring. “I’m not even thinking about being in the fight because I don’t think I am in the fight. It almost just allows me to focus race by race and just try and win as many as possible. What will be, will be.”

The candour marks a notable shift in tone from Russell, who earlier in the season appeared to be applying psychological pressure on his younger team-mate by publicly placing the burden of the title on Antonelli’s shoulders. Now, the Briton sounds like he genuinely means it.

Mercedes had faced scrutiny over the summer after four consecutive qualifying defeats to Ferrari and McLaren, raising questions about whether the team had grown complacent on the back of its dominant early-season form. The team is not expected to introduce significant upgrades until the Malaysian Grand Prix in two weeks, a decision that drew raised eyebrows as rivals made substantial gains with their cars.

Antonelli’s back-to-back wins have largely quietened those concerns, and Mercedes appears to have addressed the most pressing reliability issues with its power unit. With the championship leader showing little sign of weakness and his closest rivals now conceding the fight, the primary threat to Antonelli’s title bid may come from outside the garage — most likely from Ferrari or McLaren mounting a late charge through the second half of the season.