Experienced Verstappen hands Antonelli key advice: 'He needs to do it his way'

Experienced Verstappen hands Antonelli key advice: 'He needs to do it his way' covers Max Verstappen’s guidance to rookie Kimi Antonelli as he leads the 2026 Formula 1 drivers’ standings. Verstappen said Antonelli simply needs to be himself, praising his consistency and performance, including a win streak of five Grands Prix that featured the Monaco GP. At the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, Antonelli was on course to finish second behind Lewis Hamilton but did not finish due to a mechanical failure; as a result, he leads Hamilton by 41 points and his Mercedes teammate George Russell by 50 points. Verstappen, a four-time world champion, also urged Antonelli to learn from mistakes typical of rookies. The article adds Red Bull’s expectations of a “reality check” in Barcelona and notes updates aimed at getting the car to “eat a little bit less” in Austria.