Kimi Antonelli heads into the second half of the Formula 1 season with all the momentum and a seismic 50-point lead in the world championship. The 19-year-old Mercedes driver, looking to become the sport’s youngest-ever champion, has dazzled with his composure and class thus far, claiming six grand prix wins so far. Yet teammate George Russell, who has endured a tough opening 11 races, took a small step in the right direction with pole position for the Saturday sprint race this weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix. Zandvoort is hosting an F1 grand prix for the final time this weekend, with the old-school circuit surrounded by sand dunes on the North Sea opting not to renew its contract with the sport beyond this year. But with 12 rounds in 16 weekends, what else is there to look forward to in the second-half of the season? Mercedes intra-team battle Russell’s sprint pole on Friday hints at a direction of travel. While the general consensus would sway towards a Lewis Hamilton-inspired title challenge – which would undoubtedly be the story of the season amid his revival with Ferrari – it feels more likely that Russell will come back into the reckoning with his teammate. Currently, Antonelli has a 59-point lead over the Briton, but with more than 300 points to play for and Mercedes not immune to mechanical failures and retirements, that advantage can be lost in next to no time, as illustrated by Oscar Piastri spurning a 34-point lead last year after the Dutch race. George Russell trails Kimi Antonelli by 59 points (Getty)Battle of the Brits In and around the title race, there is a distinct British look to the top of the standings, particularly after Lando Norris cemented fifth spot with his win last time out in Hungary. The reigning world champion laughed away suggestions on Thursday that he could get involved in this year’s race but his strong performance in sprint qualifying on Friday – where he missed out on pole by just 0.041 seconds – hints at McLaren finding their feet amid this new set of regulations. Then, the big question mark surrounds Hamilton and Ferrari, who have left points on the table in the last two rounds at Spa and Budapest. Yet if the seven-time world champion can reel off a few consecutive victories, visions of that elusive eighth title moving into view could trigger an engrossing finale to the campaign.Lewis Hamilton is eyeing a record-breaking eighth world championship (Reuters)Madrid hosts new race For the first time since Las Vegas three years ago, we have a new venue on this year’s calendar. A 22-turn street circuit in Madrid hosts the Spanish Grand Prix on 13 September, with the turn 12 ‘La Monumental’ banked curve the standout section of the track. One of Europe’s premier cities, hosting F1 will be a fresh addition to a sports-mad capital. Madrid will host a race the week after Monza, one of the sport’s staple destinations. Hamilton tested the new Madrid circuit in July (Getty)Can Aston Martin improve? One of the stories of the season, and not in a positive light, has been Aston Martin’s horrendous start to the campaign. From nerve damage concerns for drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll to a disastrous engine partnership with Honda, it’s been nothing short of catastrophic for the royal green outfit.However, surely the only way from here is up? Alonso, now 45, is yet to commit his future to the team and will need some persuading that Adrian Newey has some magic up his sleeve for next year and beyond. Aston Martin have endured a horrendous start to the season (Getty)A European finale? The last time the F1 season concluded in Europe was 29 years ago in Jerez, with the infamous collision between Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve which resulted in the Canadian winning the world title and the German’s unprecedented disqualification from the championship. But given the issues in the Middle East, it appears very plausible that F1 will be forced to cancel the final two rounds of the season in Qatar (29 November) and Abu Dhabi (6 December)> In such a case, F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali has already confirmed that the season would end in Europe with a yet-to-be-announced venue. Imola, the home track for Antonelli, appears the most likely candidate to host. A season finale in the rain/snow? Yes, please. Imola could host the F1 season finale this year (Getty)