Sky Sports F1’s Martin Brundle believes George Russell needs to beat Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli at this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix to reap the “psychological” benefits.
Antonelli has won the last three F1 races and has a 20-point lead over Russell in the drivers’ championship. It came as a surprise to many considering Russell was the heavy favorite to win the title before the season.
Russell had a particularly difficult time last time in Miami because he didn’t like the low-grip surfaces, but after winning last year’s Canadian Grand Prix, he’s confident he can bounce back in Montreal.
“We have a long way to go. We have 482 points in this championship,” Brundle told Sky Sports News.
“I don’t think points difference matters that much for George Russell. For example, in Canada last year, Lando Norris had a clumsy accident with teammate Oscar Piastri in his McLaren that looked like it was going to hurt his championship chances, but then he becomes world champion.
“This is our fifth Grand Prix of the season and it’s going to be a challenge. It’s our first sprint in Canada. It’s going to be cold. It might be wet on race day. It’s going to be quite a challenge.”
“George needs to stop Antonelli and get some points back from him, but I think it’s more of a psychological issue than a mathematical one.”
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
David Croft warned George Russell on his F1 Show podcast that “alarm bells will ring” if he doesn’t beat teammate Kimi Antonelli in Canada.
Antonelli became the youngest Grand Prix pole sitter earlier this year, and at 19 became the youngest driver to lead the championship.
Antonelli’s victory this Sunday will make him the first driver to win four Grands Prix in a row, and Brundle is impressed with the Italian.
“He had strength, speed and consistency. He kept under pressure in Miami,” he said.
“George Russell has struggled in Miami but is very strong in Canada, so Kimi will have an even bigger fight on the other side of the garage and a lot of teams are bringing in upgrades. But Kimi’s raw pace and consistency was very impressive.”
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Martin Brundle believes this year’s Canadian Grand Prix could bring drama as new F1 cars face challenges with the circuit’s tough layout
Brundle talks about development race and Montreal rain outlook
Mercedes is bringing a significant upgrade package to the Canadian Grand Prix, hoping to extend its advantage on the field, while McLaren is also expected to fit new parts into its cars.
The early stages of new technical regulations in F1 are always a huge competition, and Brundle says Mercedes’ rivals “will never stand still”.
“These are brand new regulations and will be the story of the season as teams continue to make incredible changes and improvements one after another while learning about the biggest changes in F1’s history,” he said.
“Mercedes is pretty confident. They’re not going to put anything slow in the car, so we’ll just see where everyone is. It’s a completely different track layout to Miami, with a lot of long straights and slow corners and chicanes.”
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Ahead of this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix, let’s take a look back at some of the biggest crashes in recent years at the infamous ‘Wall of Champions’.
Rain is forecast for this weekend as well, with showers expected for Sunday’s race. According to Brundle, there have been no competitive sessions in wet conditions yet this season, and the new car, with its high electric output and brutal acceleration, will really test drivers.
“The drivers are all a little bit scared of what these cars will do in the rain. They have a lot of power, less downforce and less grip, but we don’t know yet.”
“No one really had a chance to put them in a competitive situation, so we could see some drama. Of the last eight grands prix in Montreal, only one has gone without some kind of safety car, because if you crash, you’re essentially still on the race track. In that respect, this is a pretty challenging layout, an old-school layout, and we love it.”
F1 heads to Montreal for the Canadian Grand Prix and another sprint weekend. Watch Sky Sports F1 live from this Friday. Stream Sky Sports now – cancel anytime with no contract
