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Former F1 driver and Sky Sports Germany reporter Ralf Schumacher has claimed that Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli could be the next Max Verstappen. The statement came after Kimi Antonelli’s intense battle with his teammate George Russell, which led to the former’s Canadian Grand Prix victory.
Following a heated sprint race on Saturday between the two Mercedes drivers, where Russell took the race win, the Grand Prix on Sunday saw both drivers fight for the lead once again. Unfortunately for Russell, he had to retire from the race after suffering a power unit failure.
Antonelli went on to showcase his racing prowess through the remainder of the race, claiming his fourth victory of the season in Montreal and solidifying his lead further in the Drivers’ Championship. The 2025 season was Antonelli’s rookie year in F1, and in just twelve months, the 19-year-old driver has shown significant improvement, proving that he is capable of winning races if handed a car that takes him across the chequered flag before the others.
May 24, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CANADA; Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton (44) and Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli (12) and Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (3) on the podium during the Lenovo Grand Prix Du Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve.Antonelli won. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
Antonelli has now been compared to four-time world champion Verstappen by Schumacher. The Red Bull driver displayed similar racecraft in his initial years in F1 before engaging in a tight championship battle with Lewis Hamilton, going on to win his first title in 2021. Speaking on the Sky Sports Germany broadcast about Antonelli’s aggressive battle with Russell in Canada, Schumacher said:
“Yes, it was an epic duel. And you also have to say, Kimi handles it incredibly calmly and maturely. And George really kept making mistakes there. He himself made one too, of course, but he was clearly the faster man.
“And you first have to manage that at such a young age, to have the situation so under control and to learn from the mistakes he also made. So top job. If this continues, we may really have a successor to Max Verstappen one day.”
Schumacher added that despite the shortcomings of Mercedes’ ground effect era car last year, Antonelli didn’t fail to impress. He said:
“Well, let’s put it this way: he came into Formula 1 with a lot of advance praise. But he was also someone who needed a bit of time.
“Then Mercedes also had a wrong development direction, which made things harder for him. Especially at the rear axle last year, if we remember correctly. But then things got going. He picked up momentum, on new tracks, he was immediately on the pace and implemented exactly what was needed.
“And now he’s taking the next step. Now he wants to move forward, now he wants to lead the team. And you can feel that. He’s no longer giving George any room to breathe, let’s say. He’s constantly putting him under pressure. And George is also someone who, I believe, is super fast but perhaps doesn’t deal with pressure quite as well. We saw that again today.”
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Following a heated sprint race on Saturday between the two Mercedes drivers, where Russell took the race win, the Grand Prix on Sunday saw both drivers fight for the lead once again. Unfortunately for Russell, he had to retire from the race after suffering a power unit failure.
Antonelli went on to showcase his racing prowess through the remainder of the race, claiming his fourth victory of the season in Montreal and solidifying his lead further in the Drivers’ Championship. The 2025 season was Antonelli’s rookie year in F1, and in just twelve months, the 19-year-old driver has shown significant improvement, proving that he is capable of winning races if handed a car that takes him across the chequered flag before the others.
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May 24, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CANADA; Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton (44) and Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli (12) and Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (3) on the podium during the Lenovo Grand Prix Du Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve.Antonelli won. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
Antonelli has now been compared to four-time world champion Verstappen by Schumacher. The Red Bull driver displayed similar racecraft in his initial years in F1 before engaging in a tight championship battle with Lewis Hamilton, going on to win his first title in 2021. Speaking on the Sky Sports Germany broadcast about Antonelli’s aggressive battle with Russell in Canada, Schumacher said:
“Yes, it was an epic duel. And you also have to say, Kimi handles it incredibly calmly and maturely. And George really kept making mistakes there. He himself made one too, of course, but he was clearly the faster man.
“And you first have to manage that at such a young age, to have the situation so under control and to learn from the mistakes he also made. So top job. If this continues, we may really have a successor to Max Verstappen one day.”
Schumacher added that despite the shortcomings of Mercedes’ ground effect era car last year, Antonelli didn’t fail to impress. He said:
“Well, let’s put it this way: he came into Formula 1 with a lot of advance praise. But he was also someone who needed a bit of time.
“Then Mercedes also had a wrong development direction, which made things harder for him. Especially at the rear axle last year, if we remember correctly. But then things got going. He picked up momentum, on new tracks, he was immediately on the pace and implemented exactly what was needed.
“And now he’s taking the next step. Now he wants to move forward, now he wants to lead the team. And you can feel that. He’s no longer giving George any room to breathe, let’s say. He’s constantly putting him under pressure. And George is also someone who, I believe, is super fast but perhaps doesn’t deal with pressure quite as well. We saw that again today.”
Continue reading...
