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Guenther Steiner believes Mercedes has made clear to George Russell that Andrea Kimi Antonelli is the team's priority for the remainder of 2026. The former Haas team principal told The Red Flags podcast that Russell has likely been instructed to support the young Italian's title challenge, with the Briton now 59 points behind his teammate following team orders at the Dutch Grand Prix. The shift marks a dramatic reversal for Russell, who entered the season as a title favourite after Mercedes emerged dominant from winter testing.
From favourite to support role
Russell's championship prospects have evaporated as Antonelli has exceeded all expectations. The 18-year-old won five of the opening six races and still leads the standings after twelve rounds, a run of form that has forced Mercedes into a strategic reckoning. Where the Silver Arrows began the year with two potential champions, they now appear to have settled on one.
Steiner stopped short of claiming Russell had been formally designated as number two, but suggested the messaging from Brackley has been unambiguous. "I would not say they told him, 'You are the second driver.' They told him, 'You are now here to support Kimi.' I would not call him the second driver, but, 'If it is necessary, you need to support Kimi to win the world championship. This is your mission for this season.' No, I think that has happened," Steiner explained.
McLaren's 2025 lesson
Steiner framed Mercedes' approach as the logical response to last season's McLaren dilemma. In 2025, McLaren maintained equal status between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri deep into the campaign, a decision that allowed Max Verstappen to close within two points of Norris before the Briton eventually secured the title. For Steiner, that near-miss serves as a cautionary tale.
"If you want to win, this is what you have to do. Otherwise you take the risk like McLaren did last year, and then you arrive at the last race to lose that world championship, not to win it, but to lose it," he said. The implication is clear: backing one driver early may feel uncomfortable, but it avoids the nightmare scenario of splitting points and handing the advantage to a rival team.
Russell's diminishing window
For Russell, the situation represents a painful shift. He has spent years positioning himself as Mercedes' future, outlasting Lewis Hamilton and inheriting what was expected to be team leadership. Antonelli's arrival was always going to create tension, but few predicted the Italian would assert himself so emphatically, or so quickly.
Whether Russell was explicitly told to yield or simply understood the political reality, the Dutch Grand Prix offered public confirmation. Team orders in favour of a teenage teammate are a difficult pill to swallow for any driver with championship ambitions, particularly one who began the year as a genuine contender. Mercedes now face the rest of the season managing that dynamic while protecting Antonelli's lead. The constructors' title may still require both drivers to score, but the drivers' championship has a clear focal point.
Dutch Grand Prix
I. Hadjar
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