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Martin Brundle has suggested Mercedes made an error in putting Kimi Antonelli straight into the seat alongside George Russell for his rookie F1 season.
Martin Brundle has raised concerns about why Mercedes did not give Kimi Antonelli opportunities with a “lesser” team early in his F1 career, similar to what it did for George Russell. Brundle noted that Antonelli seems to be a protected figure within the team and lacks the same career pressure as Red Bull’s young drivers. Antonelli, at 18, is currently struggling with a lack of form and confidence, evident in his emotional state during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend. Despite a strong start to the season, he has only managed to score points in one of the last seven races, facing various setbacks including retirements and collisions. The decline in Antonelli’s performance is attributed to the challenging nature of the Mercedes W16 car and the distractions caused by ongoing speculation about Max Verstappen potentially joining the team. Brundle commented on Antonelli’s difficult situation, highlighting the significant pressure the young driver is enduring as he navigates through this tough period in his career.
