Russell warned over Bottas-style demotion as Antonelli surge hits Mercedes

The former Williams driver, assessing Russell’s form against championship leader and teammate Antonelli, suggested the Italian has largely outperformed him. Schumacher also pointed to the Miami Grand Prix, where he felt the pair were operating on completely different levels.

“I have to be completely honest, Kimi Antonelli completely outclassed George Russell in Miami. That's just how it is. The gaps were huge, also in terms of lap times. He was driving in a different league with the Mercedes. That's a real thrashing for George Russell, no question about it,” Schumacher said on the Backstage Boxengasse podcast.

Schumacher went on to suggest that Russell’s dip in form could simplify decision-making for team principal Toto Wolff when it comes to team hierarchy. Schumacher added that, if the trend continues, Mercedes may increasingly favour Antonelli, potentially leaving Russell in a clear number two role, similar to Bottas during his time alongside Lewis Hamilton at Brackley.

“For Toto Wolff, the situation is perfect because he now has his number one driver. His number one, who can fight for the World Championship, and Russell, who can score points. That's how it looks at the moment. And now something else will happen within the team: they will listen to Antonelli more and more. Moreover, he obviously has a huge influence on everything with his race engineer. It will be interesting for Russell to see if he can turn things around. I think it will be difficult for him. If things continue like this, he'll be in the number two position relatively quickly, like Valtteri Bottas was back then,” he concluded.

So far, Russell has witnessed his early surge to the top of the drivers’ standings plummet as the season progresses. The 28-year-old, who entered the 2026 campaign as a championship favourite, currently lies 20 points adrift of Antonelli after failing to claim a podium finish in any of the last two races.

Amid his challenging run of form, Russell has insisted he “hasn’t forgotten how to drive” after being beaten by teammate Antonelli at the Miami GP. The Mercedes driver headed into the race weekend in Florida targeting his first win since the Australian Grand Prix, but instead endured another frustrating outing, leaving him with more questions than answers.

Russell finished 43 seconds behind Antonelli, with the British driver admitting he is going through a difficult spell but remains confident he can turn things around at the Canadian Grand Prix.