– As part of the Sky Sports F1 Show, Formula 1 expert Martin Brundle emphasized that he would be more concerned about the performance of George Russell’s teammate Kimi Antonelli rather than Russell himself. The 19-year-old Italian currently leads the World Championship standings with 72 points.
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“I think he looked damn good,” said Brundle. He was referring to Antonelli’s performances in China and Japan.
The youngster won both races and established himself as the youngest World Championship leader in Formula 1 history. “I remember our show after China when Kimi’s father and Toto said: ‘Look, forget about title fights, because he has to learn, he will certainly make mistakes.’ And I thought that matches my perception.”
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From day one, Toto Wolff has repeatedly emphasized this susceptibility to mistakes of a young driver. This prediction was already confirmed during the teenager’s first appearance at the 2024 Italian Grand Prix when Antonelli lost his Mercedes in the Parabolica after just one lap. Nevertheless, the contract for 2025 was confirmed during the weekend.
George Russell with experience advantage
Brundle explains: “George is the favorite because there will be rain races and safety car restarts and all those things where George’s experience will certainly come into play. But if you look at Kimi in qualifying and in the races, he was lucky with the safety car, but his pace was really strong.”
Russell is in his eighth Formula 1 season this year. Where the 28-year-old had to fight for the backmarker Williams at the start of his career, the 2018 Formula 2 champion has been part of the Mercedes squad since 2022.
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According to Brundle, Antonelli’s crash in Australia was exemplary. Instead of carrying the frustration from the third free practice into qualifying, the Italian managed to qualify for the front row immediately.
Justified concerns for Russell
“If I were George, I would be more worried after three races than at the start of the season […]. George has handled all these tough tasks at Williams and spent an extra year or two there.
He joined Mercedes exactly when the team stopped dominating and has to accept that. Now they probably finally have a championship-capable car, and you would say George has the upper hand, but suddenly he has to look to the other side of the garage and think ‘Wait a minute, this is anything but a walk in the park. I still have to beat this teenager.’ And I think that’s exactly what he’s thinking.”
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At the Miami Grand Prix, it will be shown how the duel between Russell and Antonelli continues. Last year, the Briton was able to easily assert himself against the then rookie, both in qualifying and in the races.
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