Russell 'Could Be Screwed' If Verstappen Wants To Come - Steiner Agrees With Rosberg

Tuesday, 10 September 2024 at 18:00

Former F1 team principal Guenther Steiner suggested George Russell "could be screwed" in Mercedes if Max Verstappen decided he wanted to join the team in 2026.

Going into 2025, Mercedes's lineup will consist of George Russell - the man who drove alongside Lewis Hamilton since 2022 and the 18-year-old prodigy, Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

Following the 2024 Italian Grand Prix, Nico Rosberg said George Russell isn't safe in Mercedes because he believed Toto Wolff would take Max Verstappen if he decided to join the team in 2026.

That would mean Mercedes's team principal would have to get rid of one of his two drivers, and Russell would be under much more pressure as he would know he has to dominate Antonelli to prove his worth and keep his seat.

Asked if Russell might be screwed if the Dutchman decides he wants to join Mercedes, Guenther Steiner responded on the Red Flags podcast:

"Yes, he could be screwed, not might be screwed, could be screwed, But I think he's aware of this, and the only way to prove his worth is by having the results against Kimi Antonelli, the guy who crashed in FP1."

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If it came down to a shootout between two Mercedes F1 drivers, Russell would find himself in a very tough situation where he almost could not win. He can only meet the expectations by beating Antonelli.

Antonelli, on the other hand, is expected to perform worse than Russell, so unless he underperforms significantly, he can only win. Steiner agrees with Rosberg; the only option for Russell seems to be to dominate his rookie teammate.

"Yeah, but it's also how you beat a rookie. If you dominate him, like at some stage, you know, as much as Toto loves Kimi, if he doesn't deliver, I think the love is over pretty quick. Yeah, it is conditional on your performance. I love you as much as you perform."

Of course, this assumes that Toto Wolff would replace one of his drivers (both of whom he brought up from Mercdes's academy). However, the team principal doesn't want to discuss such a possibility for now.