Sky Sports Germany pundit Ralf Schumacher believes a collision between George Russell and Kimi Antonelli is unavoidable as their intra-team rivalry intensifies.
The Mercedes pair came close to a serious incident at the Canadian Grand Prix, making brief contact into Turn 1 during the sprint race.
Following that minor collision, Antonelli was noticeably angry over team radio, with Toto Wolff stepping in to calm his driver down.
Despite both drivers agreeing to abide by rules of engagement, Schumacher remains convinced the harmony between them will not last.
Speaking on the Backstage Boxengasse podcast, Schumacher praised the Italian youngster, saying: “The lad’s got his heart in the right place.”
Schumacher also noted that Antonelli is “so grounded at home that that sort of thing just doesn’t happen” and is “in very good hands with his mentor Toto. It all fits together perfectly.”
However, the pundit was quick to temper his praise by warning that a stumble is coming, stating: “It won’t always go like this. He’ll make mistakes too, no question about it.”
Schumacher pointed specifically to Monaco as a circuit where the two Mercedes drivers will need to exercise particular caution and avoid repeating their Canadian clash.
“It’s usually the case that you end up with one wheel less. And so they really need to be careful there,” the former F1 driver warned.
Schumacher concluded by pointing directly at Wolff, acknowledging his influence while insisting the team principal will ultimately be powerless to prevent an accident between his two drivers.
“Toto Wolff has so much influence over both drivers. At some point, he’ll have to sort them both out. But he won’t be able to avoid the crash – I’m sure of that,” Schumacher said.