Martin Brundle has shut down any indication that Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli was 'lucky' to win the F1 World Championship this year, but has claimed there is a driver better than him on the grid.

Mercedes went on a spectacular run in the early stages of the racing calendar, winning six Grands Prix, with Antonelli picking up five of those. Their dominance continued, winning eight out of a possible 11 races before taking a break for the summer.

Antonelli was even dominant against his own teammate, George Russell, who now trails the Italian by 130 points.

Antonelli's efforts were rewarded when he was crowned as the youngest-ever world champion with four races to go. He is also the first Italian to win the Drivers' Championship since Alberto Ascari in 1953.

• June 2026 — Antonelli won a chaotic Monaco Grand Prix, his fifth straight victory of 2026.
• June 2026 — Verstappen took his first podium of the season, finishing third in Canada.
• October 2026 — Antonelli won from pole in Austin, moving to the brink of the title.
• November 2026 — Verstappen won in Mexico City as Antonelli became F1's youngest champion.
• November 2026 — Russell broke his silence, admitting 2026 was not meant to be his year.

However, Brundle has insisted there is a current driver that is better than the 20-year-old champion.

“Let’s bear in mind, in the first half of the season, he had a car that was pretty dominant,” Brundle told Sky Sports. “But then so did George Russell.

“He made the most of it. Monte Carlo, that’s a really hard event to keep your head and keep your car intact through all the free practice, qualifying, and then the Grand Prix, and he was absolutely faultless there.

“I don’t think he was just lucky, I don’t think he was wild or brave, I think he was just relentlessly delivering.”

Drivers Better Than Kimi Antonelli, According to Martin Brundle

Brundle revealed that he believes that four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen would still beat Antonelli in equal machinery.

“Max Verstappen, if he’d have been in a Mercedes, I think he would have won the world championship,” said Brundle. “Kimi would have run him close and given him a hard time, harder than any other teammate that Max has had.

“We still view Max as the benchmark, as the best driver on the grid. He’s still in his late 20s, he’s got plenty of headroom yet on his career.

“The way Kimi was driving, you’d have to now put him second-best on the grid, and the driver who made the very best of the opportunities given to him this year.”

Verstappen and Red Bull started the racing year off poorly. The Dutchman did not pick up a podium finish until round five at the Canadian Grand Prix and by that point he was already 88 points behind Antonelli.

However, he picked up a bit more pace and ranks second for total points in the second half of the season.

As we look towards next season, the question will be asked if Red Bull can make the changes required to challenge Antonelli and Mercedes consistently throughout the season. If so, that would be a true test for the young Italian driver.