Martin Brundle shares which driver he would partner George Russell with at Mercedes in 2025

Follow us on Google Discover

Amid all of the excitement on the track at the Hungarian Grand Prix, it was also another race weekend for teams and drivers to secure their futures beyond 2024.

Many expected Esteban Ocon to be announced by Haas as their new driver for next year but that confirmation never arrived.

The Frenchman had a torrid weekend with Alpine and race weekends like the one at the Hungaroring won’t have him pining for a return to the team any time soon.

There’s one team that every free agent on the grid would love to drive for next season and that’s Mercedes.

Lewis Hamilton departs for Ferrari at the end of the current campaign after one of the most successful partnerships in Formula 1 history.

That means that George Russell will almost certainly step up into the role of team leader.

That’s because Toto Wolff’s top target Max Verstappen is now much less likely to leave Red Bull due to a change in the contract situation of his key ally Helmut Marko.

Speaking on Sky Sports F1 (1:02pm, 21/7), Martin Brundle was asked about the vacant seat.

Brundle admitted that he thought the best person to partner Russell next year was 17-year-old Formula 2 star Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

The Italian teenager had a middling start to his first campaign at that level but has showcased his talent at the past two race weekends.

READ MORE: Who is Mercedes academy driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli? Everything you need to know

Martin Brundle tells Mercedes to replace Lewis Hamilton with Andrea Kimi Antonelli

Asked who he would put in the second Mercedes next season by Nico Rosberg, Brundle said: “As I’ve got George Russell who can lead the team, I would bring Antonelli along and just put up with the mistakes he’ll make at the beginning.”

Naomi Schiff added: “Luckily I’m not the person who has to make that decision but I think Antonelli’s probably going to have to keep showing other little things even if he doesn’t have the car [in Formula 2].

“Just the way he’s managing the race, dealing with the team, trying to overcome these hurdles could be another sign plus his tests in the F1 car have been very positive.”

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

Latest Kimi Antonelli comment suggest 2025 is too soon for F1 promotion

At Silverstone at the previous round of the Formula 2 season, Antonelli won the Sprint Race in treacherous conditions and finally stood on the top step of the podium for PREMA at that level.

While he was taken out before his Feature Race began, he took his performances up another notch in Hungary.

Antonelli was on the wrong strategy in the Sprint Race, starting on the soft tyres that were never going to last the race distance.

However, in the Feature Race, he overtook Zane Maloney to be the leading driver on his strategy and after looking like he was going to be caught out by a safety car, he got some luck of his own.

Antonelli was miles clear of the rest of the field and deservedly won his second race in two weekends.

However, talking after winning the Formula 2 Feature Race in Hungary and asked about a potential promotion to F1, via The Race, Antonelli said: “I mean… I don’t know if I will be ready, to be honest.

“I’m still learning a lot in F2. Definitely, I still do [make] quite a few mistakes. A few details that really matter, I’m still not doing that right.”

Antonelli’s camp has previously said they’re not rushing into Formula 1 after he was linked with a seat at Williams.

They understand how talented their driver is and believe that he’ll reach F1 when he’s ready, something that having the backing of Mercedes gives him the comfort blanket to decide.