Such has been the robust type of Mercedes in 2026 that any Qualifying session ending with the best-placed W17 in P4 on the timing screens means that one thing didn’t go to plan.
That was the case for the Brackley-based workforce in Hungary – even earlier than Kimi Antonelli acquired a grid penalty for a yellow flag offence in Q3.
An everyday on pole place this yr, Antonelli wasn’t fairly in the combat this time, and in the end he misplaced out to each McLaren and Ferrari.
His struggles with a tough automobile weren’t helped by a yellow flag on his remaining run, when – as in Austria – Max Verstappen spun forward of him. He was satisfied he may have earned P3 had he not been obliged to sluggish.
“Yes, for sure,” Antonelli stated when requested if the yellow had value him a place. “The factor is, I had to coast all the way in which into the apex, and the lap earlier than, the final nook was horrible, and I knew there was going to be fairly a little bit of time to be discovered there. Obviously it was a disgrace.
“But these things happen, and for sure it would have been P3, but still not good enough for P1. I think we were going to be probably seven-hundredths, eight-hundredths, shy of pole. Which was still surprising, especially after where we were at the end of Q2.”
Later, Antonelli was known as to see the stewards for not slowing sufficiently for the yellows, and he was duly docked three locations and pushed down to P7.
That added additional ache to what had already been a tough day. Tyres have been a key issue because the Italian struggled to get the fronts working initially of the lap, and rears on the finish of it.
“Yeah, it was both,” he stated. “But I feel already in the warm-up we have been going over the height of the tyres. So, simply already from Turn 1, you possibly can really feel the grip was not there, and there was loads of four-wheel sliding, particularly in the final sector.
“Just really no traction, especially. And so that definitely first of all took away a bit of confidence, but as well, we had to make a huge step into Q3 – which is never ideal.”
This yr, Mercedes have confronted challenges from both McLaren or Ferrari at some tracks. However, Antonelli admitted that he was not shocked to see each rivals in entrance this weekend.
“We expected it, also because they all brought upgrades,” he stated. “Ferrari introduced a brand new rear wing, McLaren introduced a brand new flooring, and we’ve not introduced an improve for downforce for a very long time.
“So we knew. But I feel we sort of misplaced slightly bit ourselves in Q2, particularly we have been so out of the window with tyres, I really feel, and that put us slightly bit on the again foot.
“And having to make such a huge step in Q3 is never ideal, because obviously the car changed quite a bit, and just was not so easy to extract the maximum out of it.”
Expanding on the race to carry upgrades, the championship chief stated: “We anticipated to begin with that we in all probability would not have been quickest, however I feel we have been nonetheless in the ballpark in Q3. In that final lap, we have been there, so clearly it is a disgrace to miss out. I feel we have been nonetheless in the ballpark, which remains to be constructive contemplating all the things.
“But for sure this year is going to be a development race. Especially, McLaren did a huge step with the new floor. Also, Ferrari did a good step with the rear wing. We need to keep our head down, because it’s going to be a fight all the way until the end.”
F1 is all about marginal positive factors in each space, and Antonelli admitted that he additionally misplaced out by handing his automobile to reserve Fred Vesti for FP1, thus lacking an hour of priceless observe time at what has proved to be a really difficult venue this yr.
It was his name to select the Hungaroring, having already skipped the primary session in Barcelona, the place he didn’t have an optimum Qualifying, and had to accept P3.
“I think I’ve picked probably not the best race to miss FP1,” Antonelli stated. “Because additionally right here circumstances revealed to be way more difficult than anticipated. Also with the automobile, simply way more tough to drive.
“So for sure, it was not ideal, because probably with FP1 [we] could have worked a bit better maybe with set-up, also starting right off, giving a bit of a better input for set-up, and of course just getting into the rhythm with driving. So for sure, it was not ideal. But at least now for the rest of the season I don’t have to worry about it anymore.”
Attention now turns to the race, and Antonelli is optimistic that he can finish on a excessive earlier than the summer time break: “I feel our future seems to be robust. Definitely fairly a bit stronger than single lap. I feel this weekend we lacked extra on single lap reasonably than race tempo.
“So, definitely something to look at. But hopefully tomorrow we can get a good start, and then we’ll try to do our best to pull out something.”
