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Ralf Schumacher has reacted to Kimi Antonelli’s further bolstering of his lead in the F1 standings by telling George Russell that he must now play the same role as Valtteri Bottas once did for Mercedes in the remainder of the season.
The Italian now holds a 68-point lead over his Mercedes counterpart in the drivers’ championship, following Antonelli’s trouncing of the competition in Monaco, and Russell’s scoreless finish.
What is it going to take for George Russell to get back in the title fight?
Photo by Jayce Illman/Getty Images
It means that the Briton now faces a mountain to climb in order to get himself back into title contention. Lewis Hamilton now holds second place in the standings off the back of his consecutive P2 finishes, with Russell two points behind in third.
- READ MORE: Gary Anderson thinks Mercedes chief told Kimi Antonelli to hold back information from George Russell
Ralf Schumacher: George Russell must now play wingman to Kimi Antonelli
Due to the sizeable gap in the standings, F1 pundit Ralf Schumacher has now urged Russell to slot into the second driver role and ensure that Mercedes walk away from 2026 as the constructors’ champions, akin to Valtteri Bottas during his tenure with the team.
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Speaking via the Backstage Boxengasse podcast regarding the 28-year-old’s title aspirations, Schumacher said, “I have little sympathy for him now. In the end, he just has to deliver because Formula 1 drivers earn a lot of money.
“He is sitting in the fastest Formula 1 car in the world, so to speak. If he can’t do that, then maybe he has to look at himself first and work on himself, but I know how it is myself when you just go through phases where you simply don’t understand how it works.”
The six-time Grand Prix winner then added, “One thing is clear, no matter what happens; even if he doesn’t become world champion this year and is just behind Kimi.
“He has to make sure that they win the team championship now. He has to score points consistently for his long-term prospects. I mean, Bottas was forever the teammate of Lewis Hamilton.”
Ralf Schumacher: Kimi Antonelli has already made George Russell ‘look like a fool’ twice in 2026
During his critique of the Mercedes star, Schumacher also noted how Antonelli has made his more experienced teammate look like somewhat of a fool through his dominant performances in equal machinery.
“He really made George Russell look like a fool all weekend, just like he did in Canada,” he continued. “It was a bit closer there, but he was still quick even then. And what he did here, those restarts, too.
“With all the red flags, then a completely fresh start, when the starting position was always so difficult for him. Hamilton wouldn’t have stood a chance against the Ferrari with that superb start. You have to say, he’s got some real nerves of steel for his age.”
Russell will have an opportunity to claw his way back into the title fight this weekend, at the Barcelona Grand Prix. It has always been a relatively strong track for the Briton, who boasts two P3 and two P4 finishes at the Montmelo-based circuit.
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