Why the F1 title race is not over yet... — SkimNews
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- Kimi Antonelli won the Italian Grand Prix from 19th on the grid, extending his championship lead to 66 points over George Russell, 76 over Lewis Hamilton, and 96 over Lando Norris with 10 rounds remaining
- Mercedes dominated Monza thanks to superior power-unit deployment—especially the electrical side, which FIA measurements did not capture—prompting team principal Toto Wolff to call the circuit "an outlier on the track"
- Mercedes is bringing no upgrades until Malaysia in early October, meaning the Spanish GP at Madrid's new Madring circuit will expose the car's cornering weaknesses against McLaren and Ferrari
- McLaren team boss Andrea Stella identified Malaysia, Austin, and Brazil as tracks that suit their car, adding that McLaren was in winning position at Hungary and the Netherlands in the two rounds before Monza
- Antonelli, at 20 years old and in only his second F1 season, has shown no signs of cracking under pressure, though teammate Russell has not matched his pace on identical equipment
- Wolff acknowledged the fragility of the lead: "It's motor racing. Things can break, accidents can happen"—a single non-podium for Antonelli at a McLaren- or Ferrari-friendly track could swing the gap by double digits in one race
Why it matters: With 10 rounds and up to 260 points still on the table, Antonelli's 66-point cushion looks commanding but is not safe—Wolff admits Mercedes has no upgrades until Malaysia, while McLaren and Ferrari expect stronger showings at the next corner-heavy circuits. One double-digit swing at Madrid or Baku could quickly shrink the lead and put the youngest-ever championship contender under real pressure.
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