Former Haas Formula 1 team principal Guenther Steiner believes Mercedes will have informed George Russell that his role for the remainder of the 2026 season is to support Kimi Antonelli's championship campaign.
While Russell arrived at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix as a clear favourite for the 2026 drivers' title, his team-mate became the youngest driver to lead the standings after back-to-back wins at the Chinese and Japanese Grands Prix.