Antonelli gets Rossi, Verstappen praise in break

Formula1.com reported praise for Andrea Kimi Antonelli from Valentino Rossi and Max Verstappen during the summer break as he led the 2026 standings on 219 points.

Formula1.com reported during the summer break that Valentino Rossi described Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s impact as “very special”, while a separate report from the same outlet said Max Verstappen had praised Antonelli’s level across the first half of the 2026 Formula 1 season. With no primary interview transcripts or team statements supplied here, those remarks remain reported rather than independently confirmed.

Antonelli headed into the break first in the 2026 drivers’ championship on 219 points. The Mercedes driver had made 33 Formula 1 starts across 2025 and 2026, with five wins, five pole positions and 10 podiums. Verstappen was sixth in the standings on 109 points, and his career record stood at 242 starts, 71 wins, 51 poles and 129 podiums from 2015 to 2026.