Kimi Antonelli said Mercedes would pursue victory if the opportunity arose at the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix, while recognising that second or third might be the more realistic result. He also judged Max Verstappen to have the pace edge and Ferrari to look competitive. The weekend was being held at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia—not in Bahrain—according to contemporaneous reports.
What Antonelli meant by “If we can win, we’ll go for it”
Antonelli’s remark was an expression of conditional ambition, not a prediction that Mercedes was certain to win. Speaking to Sky Sports F1, he said: “If we can win, we’ll go for it; if we have to settle for a P2 or P3, we’ll do that.” The distinction matters: Mercedes would take a chance on victory if the race made it attainable, but he was prepared to accept a podium finish if the pace did not support a win. Yahoo Sports reported the quotation and his assessment of the contenders.
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Where Antonelli stood against Verstappen and Hamilton
The reported qualifying classification put Verstappen first, Hamilton second, Isack Hadjar third and Antonelli fourth. That is the qualifying order, not necessarily the order in which they would start the race.
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Why Antonelli saw Verstappen as the benchmark
Antonelli said Verstappen still had the pace edge and that Ferrari looked strong. Grande Prêmio reported his assessment as: “Max still has the edge on pace. If we can win, we’ll go for it,” and noted that Mercedes’ form in final practice had not carried over as clearly into qualifying. That gap helps explain why a high starting position alone was not enough to make Antonelli’s win sound unconditional.
Tyres and heat could shape the race
Antonelli expected substantial tyre degradation and said managing tyre and temperature would matter. In those conditions, qualifying position is only part of the picture: maintaining pace over a stint and handling the tyres could influence whether Mercedes had a realistic chance to challenge for the win. The reports identify these as considerations, not as a confirmed outcome or a measured prediction of how the race would unfold.
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Why the “Bahrain” Grand Prix was at Sepang
Although the event was referred to as the Bahrain Grand Prix, the reports place this 2026 weekend at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia. The venue is unusual for an event carrying that name, so the location should not be mistaken for Bahrain itself. Yahoo Sports and Grande Prêmio identify Sepang as the setting.
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