George Russell action under Brundle microscope after FIA fines Mercedes

Martin Brundle has predicted the 2027 campaign could be something of a make-or-break scenario for George Russell, but reckons the Mercedes driver will “find an overdrive” after defeat to Kimi Antonelli.

Brundle also backed the Brit’s skipping of media duties after the Mexican GP, which cost Mercedes €5,000. Russell arrived into the 2026 campaign as heavy pre-season favourite after Mercedes’ outright pace emerged in testing, while he held a healthy advantage over his rookie teammate in the previous season.

Brundle gets George Russell missing Mexico media duties

After winning in Australia, though, Antonelli stormed to his first five wins in Formula 1 consecutively, establishing a healthy lead over his teammate in the process, which Russell would not claw back.

The Italian wrapped up the Drivers’ title with four races to spare in Mexico, with Russell receiving blessing from Mercedes to not take part in his mandatory media interviews after the race, though the team paid €5000 for that regulatory infringement.

Russell later admitted to the season having caused confusion and frustration from his point of view, wanting to reset and hope for that “little bit of luck” to come back to him.

With Antonelli still so early in his career, former Formula 1 driver Brundle expressed how the travails of 2026 “might break” Russell, but he has put his backing behind the Briton to come back fighting next season.

“I think what will hit George hardest is he couldn’t match Antonelli for speed, for consistent speed, and that’s all that matters in this business, the stopwatch,” Brundle told Sky’s The F1 Show.

“It’s a very antiquated system. Despite spending hundreds of millions of dollars a year running two Formula 1 cars, we live and die by the stopwatch – and George has not been as fast as Kimi, especially in the second half of stints on a run on a set of tyres.

“So, that’s what will get to George. It might break George; I actually think it will make him. He’ll find an overdrive. He’s got to. He’s got to come back next year, and just lift his game up if he’s going to beat Kimi Antonelli.

“But, I think meanwhile he’s just had to suffer an awful season for himself, a brilliant season for a 19-year-old who then turned 20 through that season, and George didn’t want to face the media straight after the race. Don’t blame him.

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“We get more access to Formula 1 drivers than any other sport could even dream of, with top players or what have you in their sports, and I think it was a step too far for George to have to go and be like, ‘Well, congratulations Kimi’.

“He did congratulate him, of course, underneath the podium, but to put up with, ‘Well, how do you feel, George?’ and ‘Is this the end of the road for you?’ So I don’t blame him.

“I think the team got fined €5000, and George will be [saying] ‘I’ll be very happy to pay that’, to be honest, not to have to basically face the music to the world.”

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