Former Haas Formula One team principal Guenther Steiner believes Mercedes should drop rookie driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli for Max Verstappen, instead of George Russell.
Since Russell opened up about Mercedes’ ongoing talks with Verstappen, suggesting this as the reason for the delay in his contract extension, rumors have been doing the rounds that Mercedes would likely drop Russell from its driver lineup if it were to sign Verstappen.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has confirmed his interest in the four-time world champion, but admitted that it was less likely that Verstappen would race for his team in 2026. Despite this acknowledgement, Wolff revealed that he would be considering Verstappen for the long-term.
While Verstappen has pledged his loyalty to Red Bull several times in the past, the recent ousting of former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner could have led to a change in his preferences. Thus, the rumor mill continues to churn out reports of Verstappen’s potential signing with Mercedes, but Steiner believes Mercedes should loan Antonelli to another team, such as Alpine or Williams, for a year and make full use of a powerful Verstappen-Russell driver lineup.
Third placed Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy and Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team and Second placed Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing talk in parc ferme during the F1 Grand Prix…
Third placed Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy and Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team and Second placed Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing talk in parc ferme during the F1 Grand Prix of Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve on June 15, 2025 in Montreal, Quebec.
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Verstappen has won two Grands Prix thus far, while Russell won his first race of the season in Canada. The Briton showcased his strong talent alongside Lewis Hamilton last year, outscoring the seven-time world champion in the Drivers’ Championship.
Steiner explained that it would make more sense to let Russell drive alongside Verstappen, given the higher chance of winning races, compared to Kimi Antonelli, who has secured one podium finish this season but is yet to win a race. Speaking on The Red Flags Podcast, the former Haas team boss said:
“How could they replace George with Max and leave Kimi Antonelli there if Mercedes wants to win a world championship? Kimi did one good race in Canada.
“The rest, how many good races did he have? Not many. So you take George out, who is doing a good job, like him or not, he’s doing a good job. He won a race [in Canada], so he’s obviously a good leader there.
“I think they [Mercedes] would need to take Kimi out to put Max in. I would understand that one at the moment say, ‘Hey, Kimi, let’s do a year at Alpine, or Williams,’ wherever, build it up.”
Steiner acknowledged that Kimi Antonelli was a good driver, but him not winning in a capable car would do him no good. He added:
“He’s a good driver, but he needs to get experience. Being thrown in at that age, in a car which could win races, and you don’t win, it is not good for your build-up, so that’s difficult.”