Kimi Antonelli remains the indisputable leader of the Formula 1 world championship, but the Mercedes driver has delivered a gloomy verdict on the car that carried him there: the Silver Arrows no longer have the fastest machine on the grid.
For a team that opened 2026 by winning the first six Grands Prix from pole, it’s a surprising admission.
Mercedes’ early-season supremacy has steadily eroded as its rivals have caught up, and Lando Norris’ commanding victory at Zandvoort provided Antonelli with perhaps the clearest evidence yet that the competitive order has shifted.
Norris converted pole into his second consecutive victory and McLaren’s heavily revised MCL40 looked particularly strong around the Dutch circuit. Mercedes, meanwhile, had to settle for Antonelli in second, with George Russell finishing third.
The result leaves Mercedes still in a position of strength in both championships. Antonelli retains a 59-point advantage over Russell and Lewis Hamilton, while Mercedes leads Ferrari by 87 points in the constructors’ standings.
But the Italian charger believes the numbers are beginning to conceal an uncomfortable reality.
“We’re clearly not the fastest car anymore on the grid,” claimed Antonelli.
“We’re probably second or third, at least in today’s race, and McLaren has taken a huge step, especially since Hungary, since the big upgrade package they brought.”
There’s no denying that F1’s development battle has enabled Mercedes’ rivals to gradually claw their way back into contention.
And McLaren’s latest gains have now seemingly carried it beyond the Silver Arrows at circuits where tyre degradation becomes a decisive factor.
Antonelli, however, is not interpreting the defeat as a reason for alarm. Mercedes is already preparing another major development package, and the championship leader is banking on it restoring the balance of power.
“I’m confident with the team. The team has been working super hard on this next package that is coming up and they just want to make sure that it’s going to work out well once we put it on,” he explained.
“So for sure, in this race, it’s going to be more difficult, it’s going to be challenging, but we’re ready to do our best and to maximise every opportunity.
“And then hopefully it’s going to be our turn to bring the package that’s going to give us a little bit of the upper hand again.”
Russell offered a somewhat less gloomy interpretation of Mercedes’ recent struggles, pointing to the particular demands of the circuits where McLaren has excelled.
After finishing only seventh at the previous race in Hungary, he recovered to third at Zandvoort, but acknowledged that Mercedes has endured “a challenging couple of weekends”.
“I think we will be slightly more competitive there,” added the Briton, whose team-mate will carry a grid penalty for an engine swap.
“However, I believe Ferrari have an engine upgrade incoming and the truth is we just don't know. But I do believe that these high degradation circuits really suit McLaren very well and especially Lando.
“He's always been a bit of specialist in those conditions. We also saw it last year. Monza may be slightly different, but I think they have to be the team to beat right now.”
Monza could therefore provide Mercedes with an important reality check.
The Italian Grand Prix's lower-degradation characteristics should offer a different test from Zandvoort, potentially giving Mercedes a chance to demonstrate that Antonelli’s assessment was specific to the Dutch weekend rather than a definitive statement about the championship’s competitive order.
Yet Norris’ back-to-back victories, combined with McLaren’s apparent development leap since Hungary, make it increasingly difficult for Mercedes to rely on the momentum of its spectacular opening to the season.
The Silver Arrows still have the points advantage that matters most. But if Antonelli is right, their greatest asset heading into the decisive phase of the championship may no longer be the car itself.
It may be the sizeable upgrade Mercedes is now counting on to give its drivers the upper hand once again.
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