Brundle sees no gap between Russell and Antonelli after tense Canadian GP battle

Martin Brundle has declared there is ‘nothing to choose’ between Mercedes team-mates George Russell and Kimi Antonelli after a combustible weekend at the Canadian Grand Prix, where Antonelli claimed his fourth consecutive win and Russell was forced to retire with a battery failure.

The pair had already clashed during the sprint race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, with Antonelli accusing Russell of pushing him off the track. The two resolved the dispute before the grand prix, but their rivalry resumed on track, with both drivers repeatedly running side by side — particularly into the Turn 10 hairpin — before Russell’s race ended with a rare power unit failure.

‘There’s nothing to choose between Russell and Antonelli at the moment, experience and wisdom seems to match unbridled speed and enthusiasm perfectly, and that’s why they keep meeting in the middle of a corner,’ Brundle wrote in his column. ‘That is until Russell’s Merc expired for good with a rare technical failure somewhere in the power unit. And he was out.’

Antonelli’s victory was complemented by a podium that also featured seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton in second for Ferrari and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in third — three different constructors represented on the rostrum.

‘Three different teams on the podium, and while not an all-time classic this was a thoroughly enjoyable and memorable Grand Prix as far as I’m concerned,’ Brundle added.

Russell now trails his teenage team-mate by 43 points in the drivers’ championship — the equivalent of a race win and a runner-up finish. Brundle acknowledged the gap is significant but cautioned that the title picture remains open. ‘George Russell is now 43 points behind his teenage team-mate… he has to believe that what goes around comes around. There’s still a very long way to go but McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull are not going to stand still either.’

The championship battle moves to Monaco for the next round on 5–7 June.