Nigel Mansell has delivered his verdict on F1\u2019s two leading British drivers, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, while also highlighting Kimi Antonelli as the standout rising star.<\/p>\n
Russell has been in strong form with Mercedes, while Hamilton has also looked reinvigorated in his Ferrari campaign, but Mansell suggested both could ultimately be eclipsed by Antonelli as the season develops.<\/p>\n
Nigel Mansell backs Kimi Antonelli over George Russell and Lewis Hamilton<\/p>\n
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google<\/a> to your favourites list for news you can trust<\/p>\n Although the beginning of this season\u2019s championship has seen thrilling Mercedes<\/a> versus Ferrari battles play out on track, that\u2019s been largely in the first half of each event \u2013 if not even in the opening laps alone.<\/p>\n Mercedes\u2019 engine has been taken to task by Ferrari\u2019s launches, but as soon as the W17 breaks clear of \u2018overtake mode\u2019, it peels off into the distance.<\/p>\n Russell was 15 seconds ahead of the nearest Ferrari in Australia, with Antonelli 25s ahead of Lewis Hamilton in China and 13s ahead of Oscar Piastri in Japan.<\/p>\n It\u2019s meant after three rounds, including an additional eight points in the mix for the Sprint in China, Antonelli is leading the Drivers\u2019 standings on 72 points, nine ahead of pre-season favourite Russell, and 23 up on Leclerc. Hamilton is a further eight adrift.<\/p>\n However, this season is only three races in to what is now a 22-race campaign.<\/p>\n F1 2026: The season\u2019s winners and losers<\/p>\n The results of the F1 2026 championship <\/a><\/p>\n The F1 2026 Drivers\u2019 and Constructors\u2019 Championship standings<\/a><\/p>\n Between the usual development war on the chassis side and the FIA\u2019s Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) programme to address engine disparity, a lot could still change.<\/p>\n For now, though, it\u2019s Mercedes v Mercedes for the Drivers\u2019 title \u2013 and Mansell reckons it\u2019s not Russell, but Antonelli, who is the fans\u2019 favourite.<\/p>\n \u201cGeorge is a great driver, and it\u2019s sometimes how the chips fall,\u201d he told Sky News.<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes you have a bit of luck, and sometimes you don\u2019t. It\u2019s a long season, but you\u2019ve got to lead by incredible focus. I\u2019ll never forget with Riccardo Patrese in \u201992 that he thought I had a special car.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a long season, even back then, and so we swapped qualifying cars at Sao Paulo early in, and I got Sir Frank [Williams] and Patrick [Head] to agree with that, because I was two seconds a lap quicker than him. And his car, there was nothing wrong with it.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd long story short, the first lap I went out in his car, I was a second and a half quicker, straight away quicker than him in his car, and sorted that out. And you stamp your authority. The point I want to say is [that] you stamp your authority.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd getting back to the Mercedes team, you have to stamp your authority, and obviously Kimi has done a great job. He\u2019s young. Everyone\u2019s pulling for him. So, it\u2019s going to be exciting to watch, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n Mercedes, though, may not have it all its own way as Ferrari is already knocking on the door and could be helped by the FIA\u2019s ADUO programme, with the first round of updates reportedly permitted after the Miami Grand Prix.<\/p>\n \u201cLewis is fired up again,\u201d Mansell said. \u201cLewis has had a brilliant career and it\u2019s fantastic what he\u2019s doing. He\u2019s now reinvigorated.<\/p>\n \u201cFerrari has done a fabulous job over the winter. They\u2019re there or thereabouts, Mercedes are the forerunners and McLaren is going to be there too.\u201d<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n