Steiner sees path to glory for Antonelli – with one key condition

Guenther Steiner has thrown a bold prediction into the 2026 Formula 1 title fight, backing championship leader Kimi Antonelli to go all the way — but only if the Mercedes teenager can keep his nerve as the pressure intensifies.

With the season still in its early stages, the former Haas team principal has already seen enough to sketch out what he believes could be the defining order of the year. And in his view, the fight may already be tilting in one direction.

Speaking on The Red Flags Podcast, Steiner didn’t hold back on what he has witnessed from the young Mercedes star, who has surged to the top of the standings after a blistering run of form.

"It's not only that you need the machine, but his team-mate is George Russell. He has got a good team-mate, a very good driver, who I rate highly," Steiner said.

"And I thought it's his time to bring it home this year, the championship. But I think Kimi is slowly taking it away from him, if he can keep his cool.

"George, I think he will be the vice champion, not the champion.”

A title fight built on nerves as much as speed

Antonelli’s rise has been rapid and crushing – back-to-back wins in China and Japan set the tone, before another commanding victory in Miami extended his championship lead to 20 points over Russell.

But Steiner believes the real challenge is still to come, and it won’t be measured in lap times alone. The Italian warned that momentum in Formula 1 can turn violently on emotion and pressure, particularly for a young driver suddenly carrying a title fight.

"He still needs to win it. But he's showing all the signs of not being bothered by whatever is happening,” Steiner explained.

“The thing which I mostly fear is that maybe he has got some issues and then loses his cool about it, a little bit like Oscar did last year.

"He was well in command before the summer break, and after the summer break, two things happened which he didn't like, and he lost the championship. Maybe it is for him to lose, but I think we are early in the season."

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As the paddock heads toward the Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, the standings remain finely poised: Antonelli leads on 100 points, Russell sits second on 80, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc is third on 59, and 2025 champion Lando Norris trails in fourth on 51.

Russell, notably, arrives at a track he traditionally excels at – a potential flashpoint in a season that is still taking shape.

For Steiner, though, the storyline is already forming: a rising star on the verge of something huge, a seasoned contender chasing him down, and a championship that may ultimately hinge less on outright pace and more on who blinks first under pressure.

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