[Saba Sports News] Just three races into the 2026 season, the internal dynamic at Mercedes has quietly shifted. George Russell, originally viewed as the team’s number one driver, is facing a strong challenge from his teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Former F1 driver Martin Brundle has stated outright that Russell must now be on high alert, as the 19-year-old prodigy has no intention of settling for the role of second driver.In the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Russell still held the upper hand. A heavy crash for Antonelli in final practice forced the team into an intense repair job and disrupted his overall rhythm. In the end, Mercedes secured a front-row lockout, and Russell led the drivers’ standings for the first time in his career—everything appeared to be going as planned. But at the Chinese Grand Prix, Antonelli produced a stunning performance to take pole position and controlled the race to claim victory. In doing so, he not only broke the record for the youngest pole-sitter but also earned his first career Grand Prix win, rapidly closing the points gap to Russell. At the Japanese Grand Prix, the young Italian carried his momentum further. After two consecutive victories, he moved to the top of the drivers’ standings, becoming the youngest-ever championship leader and the first Italian driver to achieve this feat since the 1950s.Pre-season assumptions that Russell was firmly established as the team’s lead driver have since been thrown into doubt. Brundle believes Russell must view Antonelli in the same way he would peak-era Lewis Hamilton: as a genuine title contender.
In my opinion, if I were in Russell’s position, the pressure right now would be far greater than at the start of the season. Russell built his experience at Williams and joined Mercedes during a period when the team was struggling. Now that the team is back to title contention, he suddenly finds himself up against a fierce young rival—a situation far from easy to handle.