Penalty run threatens Hamilton's comeback
Lewis Hamilton finally ticked off his first Ferrari win in Barcelona in mid-June, after a first podium in China on his 26th Ferrari start. But the momentum has since been eroded by a series of penalties.
At Silverstone, he jumped the start. At Spa-Francorchamps, he received a five-second penalty for a first-lap clash with George Russell, a decision he felt was harsh as he had nowhere to go. At the Hungarian Grand Prix, he was penalised twice — for impeding another driver in qualifying and for pit-lane speeding.
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur described the team's execution that weekend as "very poor", while Hamilton admitted he must stop giving the stewards reasons to punish him. The result is a 50-point deficit to championship leader Kimi Antonelli, roughly two grand prix wins, with 12 rounds (probably) still to go.
Antonelli's stunning first half
This was supposed to be George Russell's year, with Mercedes expected to dominate the early rounds. Russell has indeed had the car, but has been hit by bad luck, while his junior team-mate Kimi Antonelli has rarely put a foot wrong.
Antonelli, who turns 20 later this month, has won six races and built a commanding lead. Technical failures in Barcelona and Silverstone, both while running in the top three, are the only reason his podium record isn't perfect. The teenager is now the overwhelming favourite to break Sebastian Vettel's record as the youngest ever F1 champion; Vettel was 23.
Still in the hunt
Antonelli may be the clear favourite, but Hamilton is not out of it. Charles Leclerc won the British Grand Prix and finished second in Belgium. George Russell, Lando Norris — who took his first win last Sunday — and Max Verstappen, still winless this season, also remain in contention.
Mid-season awards
The mid-season awards sum up the first half of the campaign:
- Best driver: Kimi Antonelli
- Most improved: Lewis Hamilton
- Breakout star: Arvid Lindblad
- Biggest surprise: Isack Hadjar
- Biggest disappointment: Williams
- Fighting for his future: Esteban Ocon
- Predicted champion: Kimi Antonelli
Midfield battles and beyond
Alpine started as the strongest midfield team, but Racing Bulls have leapfrogged them into fifth place. Liam Lawson is thriving after his demotion from the main Red Bull team, while his new team-mate Arvid Lindblad, 18, has scored points on eight of 11 weekends, cementing his status as Britain's next big star.
Oliver Bearman has blown his experienced team-mate Esteban Ocon away, though Haas's performance has declined swiftly. Williams have not got going at all, leaving the London-born Thai driver Alex Albon furious and prompting Carlos Sainz to consider options including Alpine and Audi.
Newcomers Cadillac have made a solid start but reliability has been a persistent problem, even though they were beating Aston Martin for a while. Aston Martin's Adrian Newey B-spec car added huge performance in Hungary, and with more parts and a new Honda engine coming after the summer, there is renewed optimism.
