Kimi Antonelli Says Mercedes No Longer Has the Fastest F1 Car as McLaren Surges

Mercedes no longer has the fastest car on the Formula One grid, according to championship leader Kimi Antonelli, after McLaren continued its strong run at the Dutch Grand Prix.

McLaren's reigning world champion Lando Norris secured his second consecutive victory from pole position at Zandvoort on Sunday. Antonelli finished second, followed by Mercedes teammate George Russell in third.

Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc completed the top five.

Antonelli, who won five consecutive races earlier in the season, said Mercedes had slipped behind McLaren following the team's recent improvements.

He believes Mercedes is now probably the second- or third-fastest team, particularly after McLaren introduced a major upgrade package following the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Norris Disagrees With Antonelli

Norris, however, rejected the suggestion that McLaren's car is clearly faster than Mercedes.

The British driver said he believed his performance also played a major role in securing victory at Zandvoort. Norris had to overtake Antonelli after the race restart before taking the chequered flag.

Norris acknowledged that McLaren now has a car capable of beating Mercedes but suggested the Silver Arrows remain stronger overall across different types of circuits.

The Dutch and Hungarian Grands Prix have suited McLaren's strengths, particularly its high-speed performance. Upcoming races could present a different challenge.

Ferrari Could Become a Factor at Monza

Ferrari is expected to be competitive at its home race in Monza early next month, with the Italian team also preparing upgrades.

Mercedes, meanwhile, could face additional difficulties as Antonelli is set to receive significant grid penalties because of an engine change.

Despite McLaren's recent improvement, Mercedes remains comfortably ahead of its rivals in the constructors' championship.

Mercedes scored 46 points over the Dutch Grand Prix weekend, compared with 43 for McLaren and 31 for Ferrari.

Norris Still 83 Points Behind Antonelli

Norris admitted that McLaren's recent victories do not necessarily mean the team has everything required for a championship challenge.

The Briton remains 83 points behind Antonelli, with 11 rounds still scheduled unless changes to the calendar are required because of the situation in the Middle East.

Norris said McLaren is particularly strong at high-speed sections, but Mercedes has a significant advantage in slower corners.

Mercedes Development Limited by Cost Cap

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said the team's development programme has been affected by Formula One's cost-cap restrictions.

Wolff explained that Mercedes is spreading its development spending across the season and timing major upgrades according to its calculations of when they can deliver the biggest championship benefit.

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, meanwhile, expects Mercedes to bring further upgrades.

Stella suggested Mercedes may already have a faster car in its wind tunnel than the version currently competing on track and predicted that the team would eventually turn that potential into upgrades.

With the championship battle entering its crucial second half, McLaren's recent surge has added another layer of uncertainty to the fight between Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari.