Guenther Steiner pinpoints why Charles Leclerc has ‘more to prove’ than ‘written off’ George Russell

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Guenther Steiner thinks Charles Leclerc has ‘more to prove’ than the already ‘written off’ George Russell.

Russell, 28, headed into the 2026 Formula 1 season as most people’s favourite to win the world championship due to Mercedes’ expected dominance. 

The Brit won the curtain raiser in Melbourne but has since seen his teenage teammate, Kimi Antonelli, win five races in a row.

As a result, Antonelli currently leads Russell by 50 points, with the young Italian now the firm favourite for the world title.

Meanwhile, Ferrari star Leclerc has endured a tough few weeks after being convincingly beaten by Lewis Hamilton in the last few races.

Heading into this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix, Hamilton is looking for back-to-back victories, while Leclerc is hoping to end his DNF streak, which is currently on two.

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Guenther Steiner claims Charles Leclerc now has ‘what he wanted’ at Ferrari

Speaking on the latest episode of The Red Flags podcast, Steiner was asked whether Russell or Leclerc has ‘more to prove’. 

In response, the former Haas team principal stated that both drivers ‘need to prove a lot’ but did pick out Leclerc as his answer.

The 61-year-old alluded to the fact that Leclerc now has ‘what he wanted’ on the SF-26 after complaining about the brakes.

He also said that people have been too quick to write off Russell following his recent poor results.

Steiner said: “I think they both have to prove a lot. Who has more to prove? I think Charles, because he has got what he wanted now.

“I think George never complained about the car, and Charles said, ‘This was not working’, so he made a mistake in Barcelona after his b——— in Monte Carlo, I think he has more to prove than George does in Austria.

“They’ve written him (Russell) off already. He will be at least in front of one Ferrari. Everybody thinks like George is done, he’s not done yet, he’s still got enough in him. George will be back.”

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READ MORE: Austrian Grand Prix predictions as F1 experts decide if Lewis Hamilton win makes him title favourite

It has been well documented that Leclerc has struggled in the last few races; he was handsomely beaten by Hamilton in Canada before failing to finish in Monaco and Barcelona.

The Monegasque crashed out of his home race in the closing stages, which triggered him to follow Hamilton’s brake set-up for Barcelona.

However, at the end of the race around the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Leclerc suffered a hydraulic issue, which again put an end to his afternoon.

To make matters worse for Leclerc, Hamilton ended up winning the Barcelona Grand Prix, putting him second in the world championship standings and 40 points ahead.

With Ferrari expected to bring an engine upgrade to Austria, both Leclerc and Hamilton are expected to take the fight to Mercedes, meaning the Monegasque will have to rediscover his best form as soon as possible or risk being left behind by his teammate.