Kimi Antonelli wins maiden Formula 1 title as Hamilton defends youth

Young talent earns respect

Kimi Antonelli secured his maiden Formula 1 title at 20 years of age, finishing with 390 points to become the youngest champion of all time. This victory led Lewis Hamilton to criticize former drivers for a lack of "empathy" toward the young talent on the grid, as he watches the next generation make their mark. Hamilton told media such as GPblog and RacingNews365 that he sees ex-Formula 1 drivers "talking smack" about young people all the time. He noted that these former drivers show no empathy for those still establishing themselves despite having gone through similar experiences. I agree with Hamilton that the scrutiny can be excessive, particularly since he faced similar hard treatment when he emerged nearly two decades ago. Hamilton told media that he always wanted to ensure he would not be that type of driver. He expressed pride in the new generation, which includes Isack Hadjar with 122 points, Gabriel Bortoleto with 14 points, Oliver Bearman with 23 points, Arvid Lindblad with 38 points, Franco Colapinto with 27 points, and Rafael Camara. I think his respect for their tenacity is well-placed, as these drivers must manage massive challenges to keep their heads up and keep failing and getting back up with "real humility and grace." Hamilton added that it is easy to drop the ball on the hardest platform in motorsport, but he understands how these drivers continue to push. He also observed that these drivers show up every single week despite all the pressures they face.

Massa targets Ferrari management

Felipe Massa criticized Ferrari for how the team handles the rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. Massa spoke on the High Performance Podcast and stated that the current relationship with the drivers is "not really right." He thinks the team wants to show who the number one driver is, but he believes these issues arise when the results are not coming what it has to be. I find Massa’s comparison to his time with Kimi Raikkonen relevant. During that last championship-winning era for Ferrari, the team had rules that allowed drivers to fight and race until the race in Spa, provided they respected the team and did not crash into each other. Massa noted that things work better when the team and the car are performing as they should. Hamilton currently holds 261 points in fourth place, while Leclerc follows in fifth with 251 points. The standings show Max Verstappen in second with 279 points and George Russell in third with 262 points. I believe Massa’s call for clearer rules at Ferrari is a logical step to prevent driver friction.

Championship standings and final races

The championship standings reveal a significant gap between the leader and the rest of the field. Kimi Antonelli leads with 390 points, while Max Verstappen holds 279 points and George Russell has 262 points. Lando Norris holds 246 points in sixth place, and Oscar Piastri holds 152 points in seventh place. The standings show Liam Lawson with 87 points, Pierre Gasly with 42 points, and Arvid Lindblad with 38 points. Franco Colapinto has 27 points, Oliver Bearman has 23 points, and Gabriel Bortoleto has 14 points, which is the same as Nico Hulkenberg. I see that the battle for the lower positions is much tighter, as Fernando Alonso, Carlos Sainz, Esteban Ocon, and Alexander Albon all sit near the bottom, with the first three holding 7 points and Albon holding 5. Yuki Tsunoda and Ryo Hirakawa have 1 point each, while Lance Stroll, Valtteri Bottas, and Sergio Perez have 0 points. The season concludes with the Las Vegas GP on 22 Nov 2026 and the Qatar GP on 29 Nov 2026, followed by the Abu Dhabi GP on 06 Dec 2026.