Brundle: Russell must find 'overdrive' in 2027 or it's 'game over' — SkimNews
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- Kimi Antonelli clinched the 2026 Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship with four rounds to spare on Sunday, becoming the youngest-ever F1 world champion and denying Russell the title.
- George Russell started 2026 as the championship favourite but managed three wins against Antonelli’s nine; in Sao Paulo, he finished sixth after an opening-lap battery issue and a 10-second penalty for colliding with Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar.
- George Russell was not as fast as Antonelli, particularly in the second half of stints on the same tyres, and Brundle said that consistent-speed gap mattered more than the greater misfortune Russell had suffered.
- Mercedes excused Russell from his post-Mexico City media duties because team principal Toto Wolff described him as "distraught"; the FIA fined Mercedes €5,000 (£4,173) for his absence.
- Kimi Antonelli went from a liability in his first year to a "generational talent" in his second, with wins at Monaco, Monza and Austin; Brundle said that transformation affected Russell and showed the hallmarks of a multiple F1 champion.
- Martin Brundle said Russell must find an "overdrive" in 2027 or it is "game over", while also arguing that the adversity of his 2026 season might make him stronger.
Why it matters: Antonelli’s nine wins and four-round title margin leave Mercedes with a stark performance split against Russell’s three. Brundle’s emphasis on late-stint speed makes improving Russell’s pace—not merely avoiding the battery issue and collision penalty that shaped his sixth-place finish—the central competitive requirement for 2027.
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