George Russell Warned Kimi Antonelli Is 'Unbelievable' in F1 Title Fight

Guenther Steiner has thrown cold water on George Russell's title aspirations, warning that Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli is currently "unbelievable" and that the 2026 championship remains the teenager's to lose. Despite Antonelli suffering a cruel wheel shield failure at the British Grand Prix that handed Russell a second-place finish, the former Haas boss sees no signs of the Italian's dominance letting up.

Why it matters:

Antonelli still leads the drivers' standings by 25 points after nine rounds, and Steiner's assessment only reinforces how steep a climb Russell faces. The Briton has already admitted he needs to find another gear, but overcoming a team-mate who combines raw pace with remarkable maturity is proving to be a far tougher assignment than anyone expected when the season began.

The details:

• Silverstone heartbreak: Antonelli was on course for a crushing British GP victory until a freak wheel shield failure ended his race, leaving him pointless. Russell capitalized to finish runner-up to Charles Leclerc, yet the points swing only trimmed the gap rather than truly threatening Antonelli's lead.
• Sprint race poise: Steiner was blown away by Antonelli's handling of Lewis Hamilton during the Sprint. The 19-year-old resisted the urge to force an early move, instead biding his time behind the Ferrari before making a clean pass when his tire advantage came good.
• Back-to-back brilliance: Hours after outsmarting Hamilton, Antonelli planted the Mercedes on pole position for the main race, underscoring a mental toughness rare for a rookie.
• A word of caution: Steiner invoked Lando Norris's mid-season comeback last year to insist Russell shouldn't be written off, though he openly questioned whether Russell can realistically match Antonelli's current standard.

What's next:

With the championship entering a pivotal summer stretch, Russell needs more than opportunistic podiums to turn this into a genuine fight. If Antonelli continues to blend blistering speed with the cool-headed racecraft he showed at Silverstone, the gap out front may prove impossible to bridge.