Former Haas Formula 1 team principal Guenther Steiner believes Mercedes has told George Russell to support Kimi Antonelli’s 2026 championship campaign.
Russell arrived at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix as the clear favourite for the 2026 drivers’ title. However, his Mercedes team-mate became the youngest driver to lead the standings after consecutive victories at the Chinese and Japanese Grands Prix.
During the first half of the season, Russell won two Grands Prix while Antonelli claimed six victories. The Italian currently leads the championship with 242 points, while Russell sits second on 183 points, level with Lewis Hamilton.
Mercedes team orders raise questions over Russell and Antonelli
Russell was asked to let Antonelli past during the Dutch Grand Prix, reigniting questions about Mercedes’ internal dynamics. Team principal Toto Wolff said the instruction was not related to the championship.
Russell briefly questioned the order over team radio before allowing his team-mate through. He finished third behind race winner Lando Norris and Antonelli, later telling the media that the decision was correct because Antonelli would probably have overtaken him anyway on fresher tyres.
Photo by: Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images
Speaking on The Red Flags Podcast, Steiner suggested that Mercedes must have held a clear discussion during the summer break to define its new rules of engagement. The team and its drivers have not confirmed that such a conversation took place.
“I wouldn’t say they told him, ‘You’re the number two driver.’ They told him, ‘You are now here to support Kimi.’ I wouldn’t call him the number two driver, but, ‘If needed, you need to support Kimi to win the world championship. This is your mission for this season.’ No, I think that happened,” Steiner explained.
Steiner argued that supporting Antonelli would be necessary if Mercedes wants to secure the drivers’ championship, warning that failing to establish clear priorities could leave the team vulnerable late in the season.
“If you want to win, this is what you have to do. Otherwise, you take the risk as McLaren did last year, then get down to the last race to lose that world championship, not to win it, to lose it.”
