Martin Brundle makes George Russell prediction after ‘special’ Kimi Antonelli performance in Japan

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George Russell has his work cut out against Kimi Antonelli in 2026, but Martin Brundle is still betting on him to win the Mercedes intra-team battle.

Establishing himself as the clear lead driver in 2025, Russell was expected to take another step forward and fight for the championship. With Mercedes experimenting with loopholes in the 2026 regulations, many thought he would be best positioned to win.

The British driver enjoyed a perfect start to the year, winning the Australian GP from pole and the China Sprint. But since then, young teammate Antonelli has established the upper hand, winning the Chinese and Japanese Grand Prix.

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Antonelli put in a stellar performance at Suzuka, recovering from a poor start to win the race in commanding fashion. Russell finished off the podium in P4, leaving him nine points behind the Italian heading into the Miami Grand Prix.

F1 insiders felt Russell was ‘stressed’ in the paddock in 2026, having never had the pressure of fighting for the championship before. Antonelli is taking it to him this year, but Brundle still believes he will maintain the advantage.

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Martin Brundle predicts George Russell will still have the ‘upper hand’ over Kimi Antonelli

Speaking on Sky Sports, he said: “I think George stamped some authority some time ago, a year or two back, to be honest, with victories and pole position.

“So, you can’t underestimate Kimi Antonelli. When you saw Antonelli’s pace to win the Japanese Grand Prix, that was something quite special, although of course, he got quite lucky with the safety car and George unlucky with the safety car.

“So I’m still of the opinion that George’s experience will play out a few times this year and that’ll give him the upper hand. But as with any sport at the highest level, you can’t underestimate anybody.

How can Toto Wolff avoid a Hamilton-Rosberg situation with Kimi Antonelli and George Russell this season?

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“But they’re both protege of Mercedes-Benz. They’ve been brought through the system together. But is Toto one of those team bosses… we know a few of them that can only love one driver at a time.

“I think he’s shown that he can handle two fast drivers in the team, even if they run into each other every so often.”

David Coulthard is not confident about Antonelli’s chances against Russell in 2026. The adjustments to the regulations for the Miami GP could throw things into disarray for the Italian, so it will be a huge test.

However, despite the changes, Mercedes will still be expected to have the upper hand over the field. It is up to Russell to turn the tide back in his favour and get one back over his teammate.