Sky F1 legend Martin Brundle claims 'wild' Kimi Antonelli faster than George Russell

George Russell, Kimi Antonelli at the Japanese GP press conference — Photo: © IMAGO

Mercedes

Sky F1 legend Martin Brundle claims 'wild' Kimi Antonelli faster than George Russell

George Russell and Kimi Antonelli are both involved in the drivers' championship fight

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Friday 3 July 2026 16:12

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Sky Sports F1 legend Martin Brundle has said that Kimi Antonelli is faster than George Russell, but that his mistakes could make it a closer title battle than expected.

19-year-old Antonelli is currently leading the world championship having claimed five of the first eight grand prix victories of the 2026 season.

He leads Mercedes team-mate Russell by 40 points, with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton a further six points back in third.

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It's a remarkable turnaround for Antonelli, who in his rookie season finished 169 points behind Russell in the standings, down in seventh in the drivers' championship.

The teenager has been scintillating in 2026, and is the favourite to claim the title, despite being up against two drivers with much more experience in the sport than he has.

Now, Brundle has opened up on the battle between the two Mercedes drivers, revealing that Antonelli is the faster driver, while Russell might just be the more consistent.

'Wild' Antonelli more mistake-laden?

"Kimi’s a bit wild, and one of those mistakes is going to hurt him at some point," Brundle said live on air at the British Grand Prix. "He’s had a few near misses where he locks up and flies off the road. He was off the road twice in the first lap in Austria.

"But in the second half of each stint, he’s faster than George. He’s keeping his tyres better, he’s more confident when the tyres are a little bit fed up with life and not giving as much grip as they should.

"George is having to pull everything out of his experience and knowledge to win the races, and to grab his four pole positions so far this season.

"But fundamentally, Antonelli is quicker than Russell at the moment."

This weekend, Russell is hoping for a first home grand prix victory, a win that would really re-energise his championship fight with Antonelli.

With the weekend at Silverstone being a sprint weekend, there are a maximum of 33 points on offer for the drivers, which could be crucial in the fight for the drivers' championship.

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F1 Mercedes George Russell Kimi Antonelli Martin Brundle