Martin Brundle has taken a dig at Red Bullwhile questioning Mercedes' decision to fast-track 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli intoF1. Antonelli, who was part of Mercedes' junior driver programme, was brought into the team alongside George Russell followingLewis Hamilton's move to Ferrari.
Team boss Toto Wolff holds high expectations for Antonelli, believing he has potential akin to Max Verstappen, who also made his F1 debut as a teenager. However, it's been a challenging season for the Italian since his impressive fourth place in the rain-affected season-opener in Australia.
He has managed only one podium finish so far and is currently seventh in the drivers' standings with less than half of Russell's points. His season reached a new low at the recent Belgian Grand Prix, where he dropped out in Q1 of grand prix qualifying before finishing a disappointing 16th in the race.
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Brundle suggests that Mercedes may have rushed Antonelli into the car too soon. However, the Sky Sports commentator and reporter noted that unlike Verstappen's Red Bull colleagues, Antonelli doesn't have to worry about losing his seat.
Sergio Perez was let go at the end of last season, with his replacement Liam Lawson lasting just two grands prix before being demoted back to the Racing Bulls squad. His successor, Yuki Tsunoda, hasn't fared much better and is likely to be replaced for 2026.
Several other Red Bull drivers have been dropped mid-season over the past decade. In his Sky Sports column, Brundle said: "Kimi Antonelli is having a torrid time in the sister Merc.
"He's only scored points once in the last seven GPs [a podium in Canada]. It's not too difficult to observe that he's really feeling that pressure on his very young shoulders.
"He's lucky because he's effectively a protected species at the team and won't be living in fear of his career like a Red Bull youngster. But the summer break can't come early enough for him, I suspect."
Questioning Mercedes' decision, Brundle said: "I still wonder why they didn't give Kimi a couple of years to learn his trade in a lesser spotlight as they did with George Russell [who had three seasons at Williams].
"He's a generational talent, as my Sky colleague Nico Rosberg would say. But they can't let his head spiral."
Despite his struggles, Antonelli looks set to be kept on for 2026, with long-term Mercedes target Verstappen likely to stay at Red Bull for at least one more season.
Verstappen's break clause from his Red Bull contract can no longer be activated after his fourth place in Belgium ensured the Dutchman will not be lower than third in the standings when the sport enters its mid-season shutdown.
Mercedes now face the prospect of having to buy Verstappen out of his Red Bull contract, which extends until 2028, if they wish to secure him for the next season. This would come at the cost of either Russell or Antonelli, both of whom will be seeking a morale-boosting result in Hungary this weekend ahead of the summer break.
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