No stopping Antonelli and Mercedes now, says Hamilton

Ferrari's seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has conceded that Kimi Antonelli and Mercedes are destined to clinch the 2024 Formula One titles. Speaking after retiring from the Spanish Grand Prix, Hamilton stated, "There'll be no stopping him and Mercedes this year." The 20-year-old Italian, who has triumphed in eight of the 14 races so far, is leading the championship by a substantial 101 points over Hamilton.

Mercedes currently boasts a commanding 145-point lead over second-place Ferrari, with McLaren trailing by another 52 points. Antonelli's nearest competitor is his fellow Mercedes driver George Russell, who is 81 points adrift of the young Italian. Hamilton himself retired from the race with a brake issue after starting in fourth place and finishing third on the opening lap.

Antonelli has led 13 consecutive races and made history by becoming the first Italian since 1966 to win the Monza Grand Prix. If successful, he would also become the youngest champion in Formula One history and the first Italian to achieve the feat. Despite his current lead, Antonelli acknowledges the unpredictability of the sport and the need to stay focused: "Of course, yes, I have a big lead, but you never know what can happen.

So I just need to be ready for anything and keep maximising every opportunity I get, and then we'll see where we end up at the end of the year."

Even four-time world champion Max Verstappen, who finished second for Red Bull, and McLaren's reigning champion Lando Norris concurred with Hamilton's assessment. Verstappen stated, "I'm definitely not having a comeback, he's leading by 147 points behind the Italian." McLaren's Norris echoed the sentiment, saying, "He's leading by 80 points because he's doing an incredible job. I think it's cool to see someone so young doing such an incredible job and more than likely go on and win the championship."