Kimi Antonelli is already tearing up Niki Lauda’s script for George Russell at Mercedes

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Niki Lauda made a bold prediction about George Russell following the Briton’s championship-winning feat in the Formula 2 category, and Kimi Antonelli is already threatening to scupper it.

George Russell’s junior single-seater racing CV is among one of the best on the grid, having joined the F1 grid in 2019 following back-to-back feats in the Formula 3 and Formula 2 championships.

Only three other drivers on the current grid managed the same feat, with Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri and Gabriel Bortoleto also showcasing their incredible adaptability in the junior categories as well.

Here’s how the championship standings look after the Canadian Grand Prix! Does George Russell have to take more risks now?

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The British driver initially joined Mercedes’ Driver Development Programme ahead of his first and only season in F3, having persuaded them to back his talents by producing a PowerPoint presentation which outlined why he should be a junior driver for the German constructor.

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff had set a high standard for Russell after agreeing to the move, outlining that he would accept nothing less than championship wins in both of the junior categories before getting a chance in the pinnacle of single-seater motor racing.

• READ MORE: George Russell thinks he’s the ‘chosen one’ at Mercedes despite Kimi Antonelli win streak

Niki Lauda predicted George Russell to be Mercedes’ ‘next world champion’ in 2018

As reported by renowned F1 journalist Roger Benoit for the Swiss outlet Blick, former special advisor to Mercedes, Niki Lauda, made a bold prediction for Russell after he had just been crowned as the Formula 2 champion in 2018.

Are Kimi Antonelli’s F1 title chances higher or lower than 70%?

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Ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix that year, Benoit wrote that Lauda introduced Russell to him at breakfast by saying, “Roger, this is George Russell, the next world champion with Mercedes!”

Of course, as a legendary figure inside the F1 paddock, Lauda’s opinion went a long way. He was an integral part of Mercedes’ acquisition of Lewis Hamilton ahead of the 2013 season, and the three-time world champion believed Russell was the biggest prospect on the grid.

However, with Kimi Antonelli currently leading Russell in the F1 standings by 43 points, Lauda’s bold prediction for the British driver is now being threatened.

The 28-year-old has been a shade of his former self since taking the chequered flag first in the season-opener this year, with Antonelli claiming victory in every Grand Prix since.

• READ MORE: Guenther Steiner says Toto Wolff did something ‘remarkable’ as Kimi Antonelli fought George Russell

Despite leading the majority of the most recent Canadian Grand Prix, he just didn’t look comfortable out in front as he opened the door wide open for his younger teammate by locking up on several occasions at what was meant to be his strongest circuit on the calendar.

Now facing a relatively large deficit in the drivers’ championship, Russell will need a mammoth turnaround to get his championship hopes back on track and make sure that Lauda’s 2018 prophecy comes to fruition.