Former Formula 1 driver Christian Danner, now a TV consultant in Germany, believes that George Russell will eventually regain the upper hand over Kimi Antonelli as the 2026 season progresses.
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The 19-year-old Italian impressed from his Formula 1 debut, securing two consecutive victories and taking the lead in the championship after three races, sparking immense hope in Italy of seeing a national world champion emerge.
But Danner remains skeptical about Antonelli’s ability to maintain this level over time, comparing his trajectory to that of Oscar Piastri at McLaren.
The Piastri example
“Of course, Antonelli has talent, which he uses very well, even if he has difficulties at the start,” he stated. “He also possesses a certain carefreeness typical of his young age, but that probably won’t last.”
The German relies notably on the recent example of Piastri to illustrate his point: “We saw the same thing last year with Piastri: as soon as he lost that carefreeness, his results were immediately affected. As long as Oscar was winning, everything was fine and Lando Norris was struggling. But then everything changed, and by the end of the season, it was sometimes difficult to see him without feeling compassion.”
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With the pressure rising, Danner also expects a rebalancing at Mercedes: “Many factors will appear during the season and influence the standings. I see no reason to worry about Russell. His situation has been affected by classic racing difficulties.”
Russell’s bad luck
He points out that the Briton has already experienced several setbacks: “His results have been impacted by various obstacles, bad luck, and also some mistakes on his part. Above all, his car was not perfectly set up, and that can happen to anyone. I don’t think that will disturb him.”
And for Danner, once Russell finds his bearings, the outcome is hardly in doubt: “As soon as he understands what is happening and why he is losing time, he will immediately remember what he is capable of. I don’t think he will suddenly need antidepressants, and I doubt he will continue to lose to his teammate.”
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