Martin Brundle names ‘extraordinary’ driver as the most underrated on the 2025 F1 grid

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Martin Brundle has been blown away by the “utterly brilliant” performances by an F1 driver who is not earning the admiration that his results during 2025 actually deserve.

The 2025 F1 season has largely been dominated by the battle between McLaren teammates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris for the drivers’ championship, as well as the plight that Lewis Hamilton has faced since joining Ferrari. Hamilton is still winless after 17 Grands Prix in red.

Max Verstappen’s future at Red Bull also made many headlines, before the 28-year-old’s fate for the 2026 campaign was sealed when he hit the summer break inside the top three of the F1 drivers’ standings. He had to be fourth or worse to trigger a release clause in his contract.

Martin Brundle thinks Mercedes’ George Russell is the most underrated F1 driver in 2025

But while the focus a lot of the time this term has been on events in Woking, Milton Keynes and Maranello, Mercedes star George Russell has stunned Brundle with his “extraordinary” yet under-the-radar results. The Briton sits fourth in the drivers’ standings with 212 points.

READ MORE: Mercedes driver George Russell’s life outside F1 from net worth to height

Russell secured Mercedes’ only win of 2025 in Canada from the team’s only pole position so far this season. He even boasts seven of their eight podium finishes after Russell secured P2 in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix from P5 on the grid in Baku last time out after a long first stint.

So, Brundle has “absolutely no doubt” that Russell will be driving for Mercedes next year, as the Silver Arrows and the 27-year-old are still yet to agree on his new contract. Russell is set to be a free agent at the end of 2025, but Toto Wolff has stated that he will stay at the team.

Brundle told Sky Sports: “I think so. I think he’s doing an utterly brilliant job. I was speaking to him a little while ago. His pit-in in Baku at over 200 miles an hour was extraordinary.

“The bravery [and] the finesse of going through that chicane was just… he’s on it. He’s really on it. He’s driving beautifully. He will, of course, be in the Mercedes next year, as will Kimi Antonelli, of that there is absolutely no doubt.

“But George has got this curious situation where Mercedes are both his manager and his employer, and I think he’s trying to work his way through that.”

George Russell is Mercedes’ team leader, yet is still No2 in their long-term plans to Max Verstappen

Russell has been in talks with Mercedes about a new contract beyond the 2025 F1 season all year. But the Briton also had to wait until it was confirmed that Verstappen will drive for Red Bull next term for his future in Brackley to then become the Silver Arrows’ priority for 2026.

READ MORE: All you need to know about Mercedes F1 Team from team principal to lineage

Even since then, talks have remained ongoing with Mercedes insistent on offering Russell a one-year contract to leave the door open for Verstappen in 2027. Russell proving himself as Mercedes’ new number one following Hamilton’s defection to Ferrari has not been enough.

Russell has largely carried Mercedes this year as Antonelli struggled to maintain his record-breaking start to the 19-year-old’s rookie season. The Italian only has 78 points to Russell’s 212 through 17 rounds, and he even registered his only podium to date with P3 in Canada.

Few drivers can also rival the consistency that Russell has managed this year, with the King’s Lynn native only finishing worse than P5 in three Grands Prix to date. Russell only managed P7 at Imola due to Mercedes overheating their tyres, P11 in Monaco after an engine failure in qualifying and P10 at Silverstone after gambling on slick tyres when the circuit was still wet.