Antonelli's worst weekend of 2026 was still an F1 champion's drive
Kimi Antonelli called Baku his worst weekend by far, yet fifth place and a 66-point lead suggest it may have shown him at his best
Nigel Mansell returns for another year as nominee for the Formula 1 category in the Hall of Fame. He’s joined by 11 other nominations who you can find out about on the F1 podcast with Karun Chandhok, Mark Hughes and myself here.
The Grand Prix driver who splits opinion more than any other (bar Lewis Hamilton it would currently seem). Mansell was the fan favourite, though, and he was a proper racer. His nickname, given to him during his time at Ferrari by the tifosi, Il Leone, goes some way to explaining his on-track antics.
The hard-grafter who had a gift for speed is the only man to hold F1 and CART titles at the same time.
Much of his career was marked by a fractious relationship with some of the press who wrote that he spent too much time exaggerating the seriousness of injuries. Nigel has always denied this and for most it simply doesn’t matter – Il Leone deserves a place in the Motor Sport Hall of Fame.
Nationality: British
Teams: Lotus, Williams, Ferrari, McLaren
Grands Prix starts: 187
World Championships: 1
Wins: 31
Podiums: 59
Content from the Archive
Kimi Antonelli called Baku his worst weekend by far, yet fifth place and a 66-point lead suggest it may have shown him at his best
George Russell had it his way for most of the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, thanks to an underwhelming McLaren and rare error from Kimi Antonelli. But then came the late safety car
Christian Horner has a theory for Red Bull's slide and Ferrari's stagnation. Both appear to lead back to him
2026 Azerbaijan GP practice sessions were dominated by analysis of the frontrunners and Arvid Lindblad's spectacular crash. But under the radar, writes Mark Hughes, one driver is shaking up the midfield with sensational lap times