Former Formula 1 team principal Guenther Steiner has weighed in on comparisons between George Russell and Valtteri Bottas, suggesting that while the situation at Mercedes may look similar, Russell's future is entirely in his own hands.
Russell currently sits second in the drivers' standings, 59 points behind teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who has taken the sport by storm in his second season. Russell entered the season as the early title favourite, with a victory in Australia setting the tone.
But Antonelli's subsequent blistering form, with six wins to Russell's two, has shifted the momentum. Russell's second win came in Austria, but he has also suffered his fair share of bad luck and has seemingly struggled to consistently get to grips with the W17 challenger, something Antonelli has adapted to with ease.
Russell's tenure with Mercedes has been largely successful, having outscored former teammate Lewis Hamilton twice in their three seasons together. That period stood in stark contrast to Hamilton's previous partnership with Bottas, who was often seen as the dutiful number two to the seven-time world champion.
Speaking on the Red Flags Podcast, Steiner was asked if Russell could become the "next Bottas." "That's a tough question. Let's see how he reacts," he said. "It looks like it. I don't know if he's or not, but it looks like it – it really looks like it."
Steiner did, however, claim that Russell may hold such lofty ambitions that he could consider a future away from the Silver Arrows, should Antonelli win the title and set a trend of forthcoming dominance. "But it's in his own control as well," the former Haas boss added. "Valtteri obviously was happy to be that because he stayed there forever. If George is not happy with that, he needs to find something else to do. It's not easy to find something else to do, because there's no seats for next year, but 2028, maybe."
"Maybe George says, 'I do not want to be the next Valtteri Bottas and here for 10 years finishing second the rest of my life. I need to go somewhere else'. But that's down to him, not to Mercedes, to decide," Steiner explained.
Russell certainly produced more of his usual form in Zandvoort, taking victory in the Sprint Race and following it up with third in the Grand Prix, allowing Antonelli through into second due to a team arrangement. This situation further reinforces the comparison with Bottas' role in the past.
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