Former W Collection driver and Sky Sports activities F1 analyst Naomi Schiff believes Kimi Antonelli is demonstrating that he’s not the “little brother” at Mercedes.
The Brackley outfit has loved an unbelievable begin to the 2026 season, profitable each grand prix to date, with Antonelli claiming 4 of these 5 wins. The 19-year-old turned the youngest driver to guide the championship after back-to-back wins in China and Japan, and went on to develop into the primary driver to win his first 4 races consecutively with wins in Miami and Canada.
Heading into the Canadian Grand Prix weekend, a whole lot of strain was on Antonelli’s team-mate George Russell. Given his earlier success on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, many noticed the race in Montreal as a chance for the Briton to cease Antonelli’s momentum. However after profitable the dash race, incomes pole place for the grand prix and fascinating in a tense battle with Antonelli, Russell suffered a battery failure.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, George Russell, Mercedes
Picture by: Alastair Staley / LAT Photographs by way of Getty Photographs
“Actually, that second I feel was actually the place the gloves got here off,” Schiff stated of the pair’s tense on-track battles throughout the Up To Pace podcast.
“And I am virtually glad that it occurred as a result of on one hand, Kimi is de facto displaying that he is not simply going to be bullied or made to really feel just like the little brother. He was like, ‘I am right here. I will race you, and I will race you arduous.’
“And George, while he is a fantastic driver and he is filled with confidence as effectively, he is so troublesome to overhaul. That is one factor I’ll give George a lot credit score for is he’s unbelievable in his defensive driving within the sense that he by no means loses time whereas doing it. It does not compromise him an excessive amount of, however I feel it is going to be such an thrilling season forward watching these two go head-to-head.”
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