Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton congratulated Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli on winning the 2026 championship, calling his journey and title celebration a personal highlight. Hamilton also expressed frustration over Ferrari’s missed victory opportunity following a challenging race weekend.
Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has congratulated Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli on winning the 2026 championship, praising the young Italian’s remarkable journey and describing the opportunity to witness his success as one of the highlights of his year.
Hamilton shared a special message for the 20-year-old Antonelli through social media following his championship triumph. The British driver, who moved from Mercedes to Ferrari in 2025, was replaced at the German-based team by Antonelli, who has now achieved the ultimate success in Formula 1.
In his Instagram post, Hamilton extended his congratulations to the newly crowned champion and praised his achievements throughout the season.
“Let me start with a huge congratulations to the new champion, Kimi Antonelli,” Hamilton wrote. He added that following Antonelli’s journey closely and celebrating his championship success had been a personal highlight of the year.
Hamilton also described the title achievement as well deserved and suggested that the record would remain significant for a long time. He expressed happiness at seeing the Mercedes team celebrate the victory alongside Antonelli and encouraged the youngster to enjoy the special moment while staying close to his family and maintaining his passion and enthusiasm for racing.
The congratulatory message also reflected the relationship between Hamilton and Antonelli, who took over the Briton’s former Mercedes seat following his departure for Ferrari. Hamilton’s words highlighted his appreciation for the young driver’s development and his impressive achievement in securing the championship.
While celebrating Antonelli’s success, Hamilton also addressed his own team’s disappointing weekend with Ferrari. The seven-time world champion expressed frustration over what he believed was a missed opportunity for Ferrari to secure a one-two finish, given the pace demonstrated by its car.
Hamilton acknowledged that the weekend had presented several challenges but praised Ferrari’s mechanics and engineers for their efforts. He said the team had made considerable progress together throughout the season, with significant contributions from personnel working both at the circuit and at the factory.
However, he admitted that losing a potential victory was particularly disappointing because the team had worked hard to put itself in a competitive position.
The race also featured an intense opening-lap battle between Hamilton and Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc. During the incident, Leclerc was pushed onto the grass, while Hamilton lost momentum and surrendered a position to Red Bull driver Max Verstappen.
Leclerc subsequently received a five-second time penalty, adding to Ferrari’s difficulties during the race. Hamilton later suggested that the internal battle between the two Ferrari drivers had contributed to the team’s failure to secure the victory.
Reflecting on the incident in his social media message, Hamilton emphasised the importance of balancing competitive racing with responsibility towards the team.
He acknowledged that drivers naturally need to battle and push each other to their limits but stressed that such competition should not come at the expense of the team’s overall interests. According to Hamilton, Ferrari must carefully examine what happened and learn from the experience to avoid losing similar opportunities in the future.
The British driver also highlighted the expectations placed on Ferrari by its workforce, supporters and drivers. He said everyone involved deserved to see the team perform at its best and compete for victories.
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Despite expressing disappointment, Hamilton reaffirmed his confidence in Ferrari and promised to continue giving his maximum effort. He emphasised that his belief in the team remained unchanged and that he felt responsible for helping the organisation improve.
Hamilton also urged supporters to remain patient and continue backing the team, stressing that his journey with Ferrari was still at an early stage.
His message combined congratulations for Antonelli’s historic achievement with an honest assessment of Ferrari’s missed opportunity, underlining both his respect for the new champion and his determination to help Ferrari return to winning ways.
