Martin Brundle explains why George Russell will be ‘slightly nervous’ with Andrea Kimi Antonelli

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George Russell will have a new teammate at Mercedes from the 2025 season and will partner Italian Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

Russell has performed well alongside seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes and will step up into the role of team leader at the German team when the 39-year-old moves to Ferrari.

The British driver will be expecting to beat his rookie teammate next season as Mercedes push towards the very front of the field.

If Antonelli were to outperform his more experienced teammate next year, Russell could be put under pressure as Max Verstappen lurks in the background for a potential Mercedes seat.

Martin Brundle believes George Russell will be ‘looking over his shoulder’

Russell has performed well this season, taking a fortunate victory at the Austrian Grand Prix and has been consistently scoring points.

Despite his good work, the mood of a Formula 1 team changes very quickly and that will only be accelerated if Antonelli is consistently in front of Russell next year.

Russell’s future may also depend on how strong Red Bull are in 2025 and whether Verstappen can win the world title with the Austrian team.

The reigning world champions have been increasingly under pressure this season, particularly from McLaren in the Constructors’ Championship.

Martin Brundle believes Antonelli and the presence of Verstappen will be on Russell’s mind as next season approaches.

He told Sky Sports: “George has got to be slightly nervously looking at all of that. Clearly, Toto Wolff has hugely invested personally in Kimi Antonelli and with him making these overtures to Max Verstappen.

“And three into two doesn’t go. So I think George will occasionally be looking over his shoulder on all of that, wondering where he stands. But meanwhile, he’s the Mercedes Benz team leader at a time when they seem to be really coming good again.”

There is significant pressure on Andrea Kimi Antonelli ahead of the 2025 F1 season

Antonelli has had a meteoric rise to Formula 1 but there is a huge amount of pressure on the shoulders of the 18-year-old.

He will become the only Italian on the grid and will drive for a team expected to compete at the front from the first round in Australia next year.

This added pressure on Antonelli may hinder him throughout his rookie season, mainly as he will drive on many circuits for the first time, such as Las Vegas and Sao Paulo in Brazil.

Russell has much more to lose than Antonelli next year as he is the more experienced driver, but he has shown an ability to deal with pressure well in his career.