Hamilton concedes Antonelli can't be stopped in race for F1 world title

[p]"There'll be no stopping him and Mercedes this year," [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hamilton-lewis/tI5Vpe1h/"]Hamilton[/a] said after ‌his retirement from the Spanish Grand Prix left him still third overall but now 101 ‌points behind the 20-year-old Italian who has won eight of ‌14 rounds so far and who replaced him at Mercedes after the ‌2024 season.[/p][p][b]"They've done a phenomenal job, and they deserve it."[/b][/p][p]Mercedes ‌are 145 points clear of second-placed Ferrari, with reigning champions McLaren a further 52 behind.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/antonelli-andrea-kimi/ptGu0mT1/"]Antonelli[/a]'s closest rival is his teammate [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/russell-george/xxF56RaN/"]George Russell[/a], who is now 81 ‌points adrift.[/p][p]Hamilton retired with a brake problem ⁠after starting in fourth place and ‌rising to third on the opening lap.[/p][p][b]"I've got no brakes, guys," he ​told the team by radio before retiring on lap seven in last place. It was his first points blank ​of the season.[/b][/p][embed guid="0e29c580-8075-462a-b815-8510655d0a1c" url="https://x.com/F1/status/2099210755480392067" social-type="twitter" /][p]Antonelli has now led 13 consecutive races and last weekend became the first Italian since 1966 to win his home ⁠Grand Prix at Monza.[/p][p]He ​is already the youngest driver to lead the championship, the first Italian since 1953, and would be the youngest champion.[/p][p][b]"It’s great, but, you know, we’ve just got to keep pushing, keep delivering the results ‌and, you know, just trying to do the best job I can whenever I go on track," said the youngster.[/b][/p][p][b]"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."[/b][/p][embed guid="c3621552-c1c5-41ef-9f48-aa873c9c5f01" url="https://x.com/F1/status/2099184834740736449" social-type="twitter" /][p]Four-time champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/verstappen-max/UV3mgeXB/"]Max Verstappen[/a], second on Sunday for Red Bull, and McLaren's reigning champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/norris-lando/WSVABbVF/"]‌Lando Norris[/a] both shared Hamilton's view on who would be champion.[/p][p][b]"I’m ​definitely not having a comeback," said Verstappen, who almost snatched ‌the title last year from way back, of his situation 147 points behind the Italian.[/b][/p][p][b]Norris, 106 points behind Antonelli in fourth overall, agreed: "He’s leading by 80 points because he’s doing an incredible job," said the Briton.[/b][/p][p][b]"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."[/b][/p]