Can Lewis Hamilton erase Kimi Antonelli’s points lead?

EDDIE KALEGI - STAFF WRITER

Lewis Hamilton celebrates his first victory with Ferrari, snapping a two-year winless drought at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix. (Photo Credit: Reuters, June 14th, 2026)

Entering last weekend’s Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, Kimi Antonelli was on an absolute heater. The 19 year-old sophomore phenom had won five consecutive races, with his only loss of the campaign to that point coming in a runner-up effort to Mercedes teammate George Russell in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

Thanks to those staggering results, Antonelli, who had never won a Grand Prix before his recent run, had amassed a 66-point lead in the World Drivers’ Championship with just six rounds in the books following his last victory to date at the Monaco Grand Prix. 

Russell had largely kept pace, but back-to-back finishes outside of the points, including a DNF when he had arguably the best car at the Canadian Grand Prix in May, sent him spiraling backwards. This allowed a new player to enter the title fight.

Following a tumultuous first season with Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton has turned back the clock and found his footing once again. The seven-time champion has been the model of consistency, finishing sixth or better in every race this season. This culminated in a long-awaited victory at Barcelona, a race that he controlled even before mechanical issues took Antonelli out of contention. Hamilton is looking his strongest since his heartbreaking championship loss to Max Verstappen in 2021, which coincidentally was the last time Mercedes truly had a dog in the fight.

Although Kimi Antonelli’s points lead was enormous, Lewis Hamilton has already cut it from 66 to 41 in one weekend. With 15 races left in the season and Hamilton looking rejuvenated, this can easily be fully erased. Let’s not forget, while due in large part to his superhuman skillset and McLaren’s ineptitude, Max Verstappen rallied from a 100-point deficit in a three month span to remain mathematically eligible for a championship at Abu Dhabi in the 2025 season finale.

Gaps can vanish quickly in Formula One, and Mercedes initial advantage with the new hybrid battery package has seemingly shrunk as Ferrari continues to improve and capitalize on upgrades. 

The gap could also continue to narrow behind the wheel. Excluding sprint races, Antonelli scored a grand total of THREE points last season at the next seven tracks on the schedule combined, including three retirements. On the contrary, the European swing has been Lewis Hamilton’s greatest strength during his two decade career, specifically at tracks like Silverstone and Spa. 

Lewis Hamilton could absolutely find himself in the championship lead in no time.