F1 News: Martin Brundle tips SHOCK star for Mercedes drive

Brundle, Hamilton, Mercedes — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Brundle tips SHOCK star for Mercedes drive

Martin Brundle makes interesting Mercedes driver prediction

Shay Rogers

Friday 12 April 2024 18:57

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Martin Brundle has tipped a fascinating young driver to be in contention for a drive with Mercedes in 2025.

Following the departure of stud driver Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari at the end of the season, the Silver Arrows need to find a canny operator to partner George Russell.

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Next year’s driver market is extremely competitive, with as many as 13 seats up for grabs and many more free agent drivers than can fill those holes.

All sorts of names have been thrown around the Mercedes rumour mill, including Carlos Sainz, Sebastian Vettel and Esteban Ocon - but there's another name in the mix for the seat.

While the signing of Max Verstappen failed back before Red Bull snapped him up as a junior driver in 2014, the team didn’t want to let the same thing happen with another talent that arose just five years ago.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli has been a Mercedes junior since 2019

George Russell will have a new teammate in 2025

Who is Brundle's pick for a 2025 Mercedes drive?

Sky Sports F1 pundit Martin Brundle has shared his thoughts on who the team may allocate the seat to before the end of the year.

"I think Mercedes, if Antonelli's ready, they'll try and put Antonelli in Lewis Hamilton's seat,” he told the Sky Sports F1 Podcast.

“If Fernando Alonso stays at Aston Martin, Lawrence Stroll's hardly going to biff his son out of there, unless he doesn't want to do it anymore, but he looks like he does.”

Antonelli has a whole year of F2 ahead of him with the experienced Prema team, and there is still room for further development before he can be considered an option.

If he starts picking up race victories and challenging for the championship, it may be time to consider him as a serious candidate for a drive with the Silver Arrows.