IN NUMBERS: How Antonelli’s points advantage compares to previous seasons F1.com delves into the data from seasons gone by to investigate how Kimi Antonelli's current 43-point lead in the championship compares to title fights from the recent past. With five rounds of the 2026 season complete, Kimi Antonelli holds a 43-point lead over team mate George Russell in the World Championship standings, a gap that grew following Russell’s retirement from the Canadian Grand Prix. The turn of events led Russell to comment that “it feels like somebody doesn't want me to fight or compete for this championship”. However, a glance back at past seasons highlights just how much the title is still very much all to play for. Our data team have been delving into how Antonelli’s advantage compares to previous championship fights from years gone by – and how, on several occasions, a significant gap has later been overturned. To keep things fair, we have focused on seasons where the current points system (used since 2010) has been in effect – as well as examining an interesting parallel in another category of motorsport at the end… Fernando Alonso vs Sebastian Vettel Two particularly memorable title duels played out between Fernando Alonso – during his time with Ferrari – and Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel, the first being in 2010. Alonso was already 25 points clear of Vettel after the opening two rounds, but a win for the latter at Round 3 – where Alonso retired – put the pair on equal points, though the other Ferrari of Felipe Massa had moved into P1. The lead would go on to change hands several times amongst numerous drivers, but Alonso had returned to the top with two rounds to spare. Vettel, meanwhile, held P3 entering into the Abu Dhabi finale, a race