Antonelli to step aside for Verstappen in 2027? 'Russell is crushing him'

Kimi Antonelli and his results in the first half of the season have come under the spotlight from Johnny Herbert, who believes that if Max Verstappen were to join Mercedes next year, it would be the young Italian driver who might have to step aside.

Having arrived in Formula 1 just after turning eighteen, Kimi Antonelli has experienced a debut season marked by ups and downs.

The Italian impressed early on, with highlights including a sprint pole in Miami and a third-place finish in Canada among his best results so far.

However, in recent races, Kimi has fallen into a slump, while George Russell has continued to deliver strong performances—most recently, a podium finish at last Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix.

This situation is indirectly linked to Max Verstappen, who has definitively silenced rumors of a move to Mercedes by confirming he will remain with Red Bull through 2026. However, speculation could flare up again next year.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli in Hungary

Antonelli under fire from Herbert

According to Johnny Herbert, who analyzed possible market scenarios in an interview with a betting site, he stated: “At the moment, there are potentially two seats: Aston Martin and Mercedes''.

''Kimi is not exactly wowing any of us at the present time. He is really struggling. He started okay, but it’s gradually got worse. George is crushing him. On the podium again. That is where it becomes a very difficult thing.''

According to Herbert, Antonelli’s challenge isn’t his age but rather his ability to handle the pressure at that level: ''Kimi, okay, is young, but remember Max when he came in. Young isn't really the issue. The issue is if you have that mental capacity to absorb all the pressures that are going on in the car, in the team, in the media and everything else that goes with it.''

He then added: ''It's almost next year's going to be a shootout between George and Kimi for the one seat if Max was to go there. If Mercedes can prove that they are the team to beat with then I think they will make that space happen and someone will be a casualty. I think it would be Kimi.”

Finally, the former FIA official also pointed out that Antonelli had ample preparation time, having completed several on-track sessions last year: ''When you say he's a rookie, he wasn’t really because he had done so much mileage and preparation for this year, and it isn't working out.''

''Then you have this horrible question mark that comes into play; where is the performance that a lot of people, Toto especially, were expecting because it's just not happening.''

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