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Kimi Antonelli faces George Russell challenge as Alex Brundle spots weakness
Alex Brundle believes Kimi Antonelli has the pace to challenge George Russell for the 2026 F1 title if he can cut out the small mistakes that come with inexperience
Lydia Mee
Published: Mar 27, 2026, 12:24 PM
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Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images
Alex Brundle has identified a weakness for Mercedes Formula 1 driver Kimi Antonelli, as he finds himself battling against his team-mate George Russell in the 2026 championship.
The Italian became the second-youngest driver to win an F1 race at the Chinese Grand Prix, and his part in the drivers' championship battle has since become a hot topic of conversation.
While Brundle applauded the driver for his victory, he pointed to a weakness the 19-year-old faces in comparison to his experienced team-mate.
"It was a big day for Kimi, firstly to win his first grand prix, but also in the championship," Brundle told F1 TV. "He's sitting in a clearly dominant Mercedes. He needs to show that he's a realistic prospect for this world championship.
"And I think he did that. The two Mercedes started across the front row of the grid. Kimi kept his head cool, nailed the start, which George Russell, having had a bit of a difficult weekend by Mercedes' standards this year, after that technical issue in qualifying, had a more difficult start.
"Drove it from lights to flag and he's demonstrated to the team that he can hold his nerve and convert a good grid position into a race victory, which is really important for his season moving forward."
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
He added: "Kimi just needs to get over those one or two moments he has. He had one, for example, in the sprint race in Shanghai with Isack Hadjar. Tiny little bit of contact. If he can overcome those moments, I think he's got the pace to challenge George for the championship.
"I think that's going to be Kimi's battle this year, George obviously, with the fantastic experience. If Kimi can clear that moment where he just loses his head a little bit in the races, he's going to be a fierce contender for the championship."
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