Mercedes F1 driver Kimi Antonelli has acknowledged that Lewis Hamilton is a significant championship threat after the seven-time world champion secured victory at the Barcelona Grand Prix with a strong lead of almost 20 seconds over runner-up driver George Russell.. Hamilton secured his first victory wearing the red racing suit since he made the switch from Mercedes to Ferrari ahead of the 2025 season, putting him firmly in the Drivers’ Championship fight.. Advertisement. Advertisement. Advertisement. Currently, Hamilton is placed second in the Drivers’ Standings with 115 points, 41 points behind championship leader Antonelli, who has accumulated 156 points. This, despite the Mercedes driver securing zero points today in Barcelona, as the last leg of the race saw him retire due to a suspected power unit failure.. Hamilton’s flawless start in Barcelona, combined with Ferrari’s excellent tire strategy, and the virtual safety car (VSC) due to Fernando Alonso’s DNF as a result of a technical issue on his Aston Martin, played into the Briton’s advantage. He then snatched the lead from Russell and savored the clean air in front until the chequered flag was waved.. Antonelli managed to overtake Russell when just a few laps remained. Unfortunately for the 19-year-old driver, the PU issue meant he was out of the race. When asked after the race if he was the quicker Mercedes driver, Antonelli said:. Advertisement. Advertisement. Advertisement. “I think we were the quickest on track today. Okay, Lewis at the end, he was very quick, but second stint, we were super quick. The way we came back from the back, and yeah, the pace was good, was very good. Of course, Lewis, after the VSC [Virtual Safety Car], was not possible to catch. By the way, I’m very happy for him, for his win. It’s good to see that he got his first win with Ferrari, but on my side, yeah, very disappointing.”. Russell also faced a similar PU issue on his W17 Mercedes F1 car during the Canadian GP, leaving him with a DNF and zero points. Antonelli felt dejected after being out of the Barcelona GP but admitted it happens to the best of drivers. He said:. “I feel a bit empty to be fair right now, but at the same time, these things happen. Happens to everyone, and the most important is to come back stronger.”. When asked if he perceives Hamilton as a championship threat, especially considering how quick Ferrari’s SF-26 F1 car has been in the last few races, Antonelli said:. Advertisement. Advertisement. Advertisement. “I mean, for sure, they’re in incredible form. Ferrari is very reliable, but they’re quick as well. So yeah, we just need to maximize every opportunity that we have, and then, yeah, try to do our best.. “It’s not going to be straightforward, but yeah, I’m already looking forward to the next one because I really want to go back to where we left off, or from where we were finishing.”