Martin Brundle: If I were George Russell I'd be concerned about Kimi Antonelli

Sky Sports Formula 1 analyst Martin Brundle has claimed that George Russell will be concerned about his Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli. 

The Italian driver took the lead in the drivers' standings after his second win at the Japanese Grand Prix, becoming the youngest driver in the history of the championship to do so. 

While Russell started the season off on a high note, winning both the Australian Grand Prix and the Chinese sprint race, he is now under threat from his own team-mate for the title. Discussing the intra-team battle on the Sky Sports F1 Show, Brundle argued that the Briton will be more concerned about Antonelli, especially with the boost in confidence for the young driver.

"I think he [Antonelli] looked the real deal," Brundle explained. "I remember watching our show after China when Kimi's dad and Toto [Wolff] were saying, 'Look, forget championship crusades because he's got a lot to learn, he certainly will make mistakes,' and I thought that tallied exactly with what I was thinking.

"George is the favourite because there will be wet days and safety car restarts and all sorts of things where George's experience will surely play out. But watching Kimi in qualifying, in the races, he got lucky on the safety car, let's not forget that, but his pace was mighty.

"When he crashed the car in Melbourne and came straight back, that for me is one of the most telling things that you can see in a young driver as to whether they can just get straight back on it. And he did in Melbourne.

Martin Brundle, Sky Sports F1

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

"If I were George, I'd be more concerned after three races than I was at the beginning of the season about, hang on a minute, I'm finally... George did all those hard yards at Williams and spent an extra year or two there. Goes to Mercedes just as they stopped dominating, and has to tolerate all that. 

"Now, they look like they've got a championship car, and you'd say George has got the upper hand and all of a sudden he's got to be looking across the garage and thinking, 'Hang on a minute, this is nowhere near certain. I've got to beat this teenager yet.' And I think he really has."

Russell is nine points behind Antonelli heading into the Miami Grand Prix, which will take place at the Hard Rock Stadium from 1-3 May.