Guenther Steiner tells George Russell why he’s this year’s ‘title contender’ ahead of Kimi Antonelli

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Guenther Steiner has suggested that Mercedes driver George Russell will win the 2026 Formula 1 drivers’ championship ahead of teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

The early signs for Mercedes are very good following two weeks of testing in Bahrain and a shakedown in Barcelona.

Although Charles Leclerc set the fastest time in Bahrain for Ferrari, it looks like George Russell and Kimi Antonelli are keeping their powder dry for now.

Mercedes are the favourites among those in the paddock, with their car looking very balanced on track and a power unit that appears to be the class of the field.

Guenther Steiner has been looking ahead to the season starting after testing came to an end, and thinks Russell will have the edge over Antonelli if it becomes an intra-team battle between the two Silver Arrows.

However, Antonelli’s improvement during the final few races of 2025 suggests it might not be as straightforward as many people think for the British driver to become F1’s newest champion.

READ MORE: Mercedes driver George Russell’s life outside F1 from net worth to height

Guenther Steiner thinks Kimi Antonelli is too ‘young’ to challenge George Russell in 2026

In an interview with Sport, Steiner was asked to make his pre-season predictions.

He explained: “The winner is Mercedes. They are very strong. But I would also mention the other three big names: McLaren, Red Bull and Ferrari. Those four are at the front.

“For me, Mercedes and George Russell are the favourites in Australia.

“His teammate Kimi Antonelli is very young, also very good, but simply young.

“George has the talent to become world champion if he has the right car. And with Mercedes, he has that car at the moment.

“That’s why I think George is the title contender this year.”

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Mercedes F1 driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli

Guenther Steiner worries about Cadillac and Aston Martin after Bahrain testing

At this early stage of the year, it appears as though Mercedes’ closest rivals will be Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren.

That sounds oddly familiar to last season, but the arrival of Cadillac and Audi on the grid means the midfield will look very different this year.

Aston Martin have been a disaster so far, running the fewest laps in testing. Adrian Newey has voiced concerns about Honda’s power unit after multiple failures in Bahrain and an apparent lack of performance compared to their rivals.

“They are not stable, they are slow,’ said Steiner after watching Aston Martin’s limited running in Bahrain.

He also suggested that Cadillac’s first effort in F1 was ‘a little disappointing’.

Which driver will be the biggest disappointment of 2026, other than the Aston Martin duo?

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On top of this, Steiner explained: “I know it’s a new team, but their speed was a little less than I expected.”

There have even been suggestions that Aston Martin might need to be worried about the 107% rule, given how far off the pace they have been this year.

The last time that happened was in 2012, when HRT drivers Narain Karthikeyan and Pedro de la Rosa set times in the 1:33s when the fastest time in Q1 was a 1:26.1 set by Kamui Kobayashi.

However, the difference in time and resources between HRT and Aston Martin would make Fernando Alonso or Lance Stroll not qualifying in Melbourne next month one of the most embarrassing moments in F1 history.