The F1 Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix on Sunday proved to be a major disappointment for championship leader Kimi Antonelli.
But although the result stung for the young Italian, he didn’t hesitate to offer sincere congratulations to race winner Lewis Hamilton afterwards.
For a while, it seemed like the perfect day was in Antonelli’s grasp. He was once again outperforming team-mate George Russell and on his way to a second-place finish that would’ve opened the gap up to Russell in the championship to 71 points.
Unfortunately, his Mercedes soon suffered technical issues, marking his first serious setback this season. Hamilton eventually took the grand prix victory for Ferrari, his first since joining the team in January 2025.
It means that Hamilton is now just 41 points behind Antonelli in the drivers’ championship, while Russell is a further nine points back as the two drivers chase down the young Italian.
Antonelli congratulates Hamilton
After the race, Antonelli was all smiles as he warmly congratulated his competitor, who is 22 years his senior.
When later asked how it felt to be such a good sport immediately after a major disappointment, Antonelli admitted: “I feel pretty empty, as I mentioned, but I’m truly happy for Lewis.”
Antonelli continued: “We have an amazing relationship. He’s always been there for me. Watching him achieve one of his dreams – winning with Ferrari – is incredibly cool. I hope he savours every moment. Now it’s time for me to rest, recharge, and come back stronger in Austria.”
Hamilton has been reinvigorated in 2026, already having claimed three grand prix podiums before his victory in Barcelona.
He will be beginning to think that a challenge for an unprecedented eighth world title isn’t too far away, after all.
Nice little moment between Antonelli, gracious in defeat, and Lewis Hamilton: “It’s nice to see”, says the unlucky Italian to the winner in Barcelona 🥰🫶#barcalonagp #f1 #antonelli #hamilton #formula1 pic.twitter.com/bBFQxCMzZt
— Brian van Hinthum (@BvanHinthum) June 14, 2026
