Martin Brundle warns Kimi Antonelli about ‘driving angry’ after Canadian GP radio outburst

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Martin Brundle has warned Kimi Antonelli about the dangers of ‘driving angry’ following his furious outburst on the Mercedes team radio during the Canadian Grand Prix Sprint race.

George Russell’s iron-clad defence of his lead during the 23-lap Sprint saw Mercedes’ championship-leading driver duo almost come to blows at turn one.

It marked the first time that they have locked horns since the Silver Arrows emerged as the most dominant team in 2026.

Former Mercedes driver, and no stranger to an intra-team feud at the German constructor, Nico Rosberg, asserted that it is ‘inevitable for Antonelli and Russell to come together at some point or another, and that flash point was just millimetres from happening in Montreal.

Antonelli was forced to yield and take avoiding action across the grass at turn two, and the subsequent radio messages to his race engineer were, naturally, quite colourful.

• READ MORE: Mercedes’ Canadian GP Sprint battle exposed intra-team title fight issue McLaren never faced in 2025

Martin Brundle warns Kimi Antonelli about ‘driving angry’

During Sky Sports F1’s coverage of the Sprint race in Montreal, pundit Martin Brundle had some words of advice for the 19-year-old.

His radio outburst lasted several laps, and he continued to voice his frustrations following the chequered flag, which led team principal Toto Wolff to intervene and tell Antonelli to calm down.

Will Kimi Antonelli return with a vengeance in the Canadian Grand Prix?

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“Antonelli will get out of the car and realise he’s making a mistake here,” Brundle asserted. “Peter Bonnington, with all his wisdom, is desperately trying to calm him down.”

“Get him refocused on the job, because if you drive angry, you’re more likely to go sideways or backwards than you are forwards. It never makes you go forward more quickly if you’re driving angry.”

Things came to a head at turn eight, where Antonelli attempted an ambitious dive down the inside of Russell’s W17. The Italian locked up both of his front tyres, which allowed Lando Norris to snatch P2 away from him. 


“He was spiralling there, and he’s a teenager at the end of the day,” Brundle said. “Not that teenager’s spiral, but he’s under an immense amount of pressure. He’s leading the world championship, and his head just spiralled for a moment.”

• READ MORE: F1 fans think Toto Wolff has ‘picked his champion’ as Kimi Antonelli radio message goes viral

Antonelli was unable to reclaim the position from the reigning world champion, which led to Russell gain an extra point over him in the championship landscape.

While one point may seem trivial, it could be decisive at the end of the year. Max Verstappen missed out on a fifth-consecutive title last year by just two points, which showcases just how important every position is in the hunt for a world championship.