Steiner Draws Parallels Between Russell's Struggles and Ricciardo's Career Path

George Russell's 2026 season has been a tough one, with Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli leaving him in the dust. Guenther Steiner, known for his candid remarks, sees Russell's situation as eerily reminiscent of Daniel Ricciardo's career woes.

The regulation changes in 2026 were expected to suit Russell well, but it's Antonelli who has thrived, dominating with nine victories and rarely missing the podium. Meanwhile, Russell has only secured three wins and risks falling to fifth in the championship standings.

Guenther Steiner spoke on The Red Flags Podcast, drawing comparisons between Russell's current challenges and Ricciardo's past decisions. Ricciardo was a competitive force at Red Bull, but after the team began focusing on Max Verstappen, he made the fateful decision to join Renault in 2019. This move, as Steiner pointed out, marked the beginning of a downward spiral for Ricciardo's career, a path that saw him struggle at McLaren and later with AlphaTauri and Racing Bulls.

Steiner mused that Russell's predicament is more akin to Ricciardo's than to that of Lewis Hamilton, who managed to reinvigorate his career with Ferrari. The Haas team principal noted that while Hamilton's enthusiasm waned at Mercedes, he found a new lease on life at Ferrari, which wasn't the case for Ricciardo.

Despite these concerns, Russell has the benefit of support from key figures like Toto Wolff at Mercedes. Steiner believes this backing could help Russell bounce back, though he cautions that if improvements aren't seen by the end of next year, Mercedes might consider making changes to their driver lineup.

Damon Hill also weighed in, suggesting that Russell might have to come to terms with the fact that Antonelli could be unbeatable, potentially resigning himself to a secondary role within the team.

For now, Russell's future remains uncertain, but with the right guidance and a bit of luck, he could steer his career back onto a winning path.