Ralf Schumacher predicts Russell will become Antonelli’s ‘Barrichello’ at Mercedes

Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher predicts George Russell will become Kimi Antonelli’s second driver at Mercedes, likening him to Rubens Barrichello. Schumacher made the call on Sky Sports F1 Germany’s Backstage Boxengasse podcast and said he had no doubt about it.

It had seemed set to be Russell’s year: Mercedes had given him a title-contending car for the first time in his F1 career. Yet Antonelli regularly got the better of him and remained largely error-free before clinching his first F1 title in Mexico.

Schumacher says Russell should consider what he could have done better, asking whether his setbacks were always bad luck or sometimes avoidable. In qualifying, Russell voiced his dissatisfaction over the team’s decision to abort a fast lap he felt could have put him on pole; in the race he spun while exiting the pit lane. Schumacher said Russell was poorly advised and that his frustration showed in his behaviour.

For Russell, Schumacher says, the only hope is that Mercedes’ 2027 car suits his driving style better and that some of his current problems ease.