Martin Brundle warns Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli "crisis"

Martin Brundle has urged Mercedes to support rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli amid mounting pressure

Sky Sports F1 analyst and former Formula 1 driver Martin Brundle has warned Mercedes against letting the pressure build too much for rookie driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

The 18-year-old joined Mercedes at the start of the season after seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton moved to Ferrari. A strong start to his debut season saw him finish fourth in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, take pole position for the Miami sprint race, and secure his first F1 podium finish with a third-place finish in Canada.

But since the high of the Canadian Grand Prix, the Italian driver has suffered from two race retirements at the Red Bull Ring and Silverstone.

"Antonelli is in a really difficult phase, and the team need to make sure that doesn’t turn into a crisis for such a young man under so much pressure," Brundle explained on Sky Sports F1 during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend.

"Melbourne was an incredible performance for him in the most challenging conditions, then he got his podium in Canada. Somehow, the mistakes have crept in later than I thought they would. And then I think he’s in a bit of a spiral situation at the moment. He can turn it around."

Antonelli is also out of his Mercedes contract at the end of this year. And while team chief Toto Wolff has confirmed this week that the team's priority for 2026 is Antonelli and his team-mate George Russell, the Brackley outfit has yet to announce any contract extensions.

"Discussions have been taking place over the last weeks and months, so they are all up to date," Wolff explained to Austrian broadcaster ORF.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Photo by: Erik Junius

"The direction of travel is definitely that we want to continue with George and Kimi. That is the absolute priority. But you can't look past someone like Max [Verstappen] and the plans he has for the future. We did that, but I don't think there will be any big surprises."

The Italian driver currently sits seventh in the drivers' championship with 63 points. Russell sits fourth with 147 points.