George Russell has finally realised he needs to ‘pull his socks up’ against Kimi Antonelli

Follow us on Google Discover

Guenther Steiner has claimed that George Russell has realised he needs to ‘pull his socks up’ against Kimi Antonelli. 

Russell, 28, headed into the 2026 Formula 1 campaign as the overwhelming favourite to win the world title.

Due to Mercedes’ power unit advantage and Russell’s experience, it was logical to believe the Brit would finally clinch his maiden championship.

However, despite a strong start in Melbourne, Russell has since seen his young Mercedes teammate Antonelli win back-to-back races in China and Japan.

Heading into this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix, Antonelli currently leads Russell by nine points in the standings.

Final time 💪 Who is the F1 GOAT, Michael Schumacher or Ayrton Senna?

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

Guenther Steiner says George Russell has realised he needs to ‘pull his socks up’

Although it is still very early days, Steiner believes that Russell has now ‘seen enough’ and has realised that he needs to step up his game if he wants to win the world title.

The former Haas team principal remains confident in Russell, stating that he will be back in Miami to show the world what he is made of.

Steiner said on The Red Flags podcast: “George will be back in Miami, George has seen enough now, George now realises, ‘I need to pull my socks up, you know, and pants, to win the championship’.” 

When asked about whether Mercedes can keep their current advantage, Steiner replied: “They have an advantage, and they are smart enough to keep it, you know, I have got full confidence in Toto’s team.”

READ MORE: Martin Brundle makes George Russell prediction after ‘special’ Kimi Antonelli performance in Japan

George Russell told not to ‘panic’ even if Kimi Antonelli wins in Miami

Although the April break has halted Antonelli’s momentum, the 19-year-old is going back to Miami this weekend, a track where he impressed last season. 

Antonelli secured the Sprint pole but ended up finishing in seventh place, for the main Grand Prix, the Italian outqualified Russell again but ultimately finished sixth.

Speaking on the F1 Nation podcast, James Hinchcliffe has stated that even if Antonelli wins in Miami, there should not be any panic in Russell’s camp. 

He explained: “We’re in round four. There’s a lot of racing to go. Just look back at last year after the summer break, you had a 34-point deficit between Piastri and Norris. And by Mexico, Norris had taken the championship lead back. So, a nine-point gap in Miami, I don’t think should stress anybody out.

“If Kimi is particularly good at Miami, fine. Is he going to be good at Montreal? We don’t know. He did OK there last year. But so did George. He did better. So even if Miami goes Kimi’s way, I don’t think it should be panic in the Russell camp.” 

Looking ahead, it is set to be another classic title fight as Antonelli will be hoping to secure a hat-trick of victories to extend his championship lead.