George Russell instructed to 'find an overdrive' or suffer 'game over'

George Russell must "find an overdrive" or face the prospect of it being "game over" in his partnership with new F1 drivers' champion Kimi Antonelli at Mercedes, according to Martin Brundle.

The former F1 driver highlighted what a critical juncture this is in the career of Russell, but nonetheless shared his belief that it will "make" and not "break" the Briton.

Heading into the season, the 28-year-old was the overwhelming favourite to clinch the drivers' title, his first. However, it quickly became evident that he was no match for his far less experienced team-mate, who took his first grand prix victory and followed that up with four more on the bounce, setting up an unexpected charge to his own maiden crown.

In doing so, Antonelli has become F1's youngest champion, the first Italian to win the title in 73 years, and only the third driver in contemporary Formula 1 to triumph in just his second campaign, after Jacques Villeneuve in 1997 and Lewis Hamilton in 2008.

It was anticipated that Russell would continue to have the measure of Antonelli, as he did through the 20-year-old's rookie year, but what was once an average advantage of around three-tenths in qualifying trim quickly evaporated.

"What will hit George hardest is that he couldn't match Antonelli for speed, for consistent speed, and that's all that matters in this business," Brundle told Sky Sports News.

"The stopwatch is a very antiquated system; despite spending hundreds of millions of dollars a year running two Formula 1 cars, we live and die by the stopwatch.

"And George has not been as fast as Kimi, especially in the second half of stints on a set of tyres. So that's what we'll get to George."

Brundle: 'There's an over in there somewhere'

Despite the devastation of losing a title that many in the F1 paddock had predicted would be his, Brundle believes Russell can use the experience to find a new gear and fight back next term.

"It might break George. I actually think it will make him. He'll find an overdrive. He's got to," the F1 driver-turned commentator added. "He's got to come back next year and just lift his game up if he's going to beat Kimi Antonelli.

"But I think meanwhile he's just had to suffer an awful season for himself, a brilliant season for a 19-year-old who then turned 20 through that season...

"George has either got an overdrive, or it's game over. There's an over in there somewhere."