Nico Rosberg thinks Kimi Antonelli still has a way to go before being labelled F1’s “best driver” despite seeing the young Italian reach Michael Schumacher’s “level” during certain races this year.

Having led the F1 standings for the majority of the 2026 campaign, Kimi Antonelli now firmly has one hand on this year’s drivers’ title, and can even clinch it at the next round of racing in Austin.

Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen have scored the most points since round 7/23 in Barcelona 🌟 How will the drivers’ standings finish?

It has been a career-defining breakout season for the young Italian, who will certainly become F1’s youngest-ever world champion after turning 20 years old at the end of August.

However, F1 pundit and former world champion Nico Rosberg believes he still has a long way to go until he is considered the best driver on the grid, even if he is emulating the great Michael Schumacher.

Kimi Antonelli is a ‘phenomenon’, but Max Verstappen remains ‘the best’, says Nico Rosberg

Comparisons between Antonelli and Schumacher initially began after the Bologna-born driver scored a maiden Grand Prix victory in F1 at this year’s Chinese Grand Prix.

As Antonelli has continued his fine form through the season, the resemblances have persisted. Still, Rosberg is adamant Max Verstappen remains the benchmark for the entire grid.

“Max Verstappen is still the best driver in the sport,” Rosberg told Sky Sports Germany after the Dutchman claimed a second consecutive victory of the season on Sunday in Singapore.

Here’s your championship standings after the Singapore Grand Prix! Verstappen has moved up to fourth, but can he catch Russell?

He went on to label Verstappen “a phenomenon”, and outlined the Red Bull driver as his favourite to secure the most trips to the top step of the podium in the remaining six rounds of racing.

Rosberg also sees Antonelli as “a phenomenon”, too, adding: “We didn’t expect it at all, no matter which expert you ask, I didn’t expect it either. I knew he was very, very fast, I know him from go-karting.

“But after last year, when he struggled so much, nobody would have thought he’d drive so brilliantly this year; it’s world-class, Michael Schumacher-level.”

Of course, Rosberg knows all about the skill set Schumacher brings to the cockpit of an F1 car, having served as his teammate at Mercedes during the seven-time world champion’s return to the pinnacle of motorsport in the early 2010s.

On top of that, Alessandro Benetton, former chairman of the Enstone-based Benetton F1 team has also seen shades of Antonelli in Schumacher.

Schumacher spent his opening years in F1 at the British constructor and went on to win the first two, and Benetton’s only two, world championships of his career before moving on to Ferrari ahead of the 1996 season.