George Russell handed 'political games' advice to ensure Mercedes F1 future

Former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher has offered George Russell advice on how to ensure he remains a Mercedes driver, including continuing not to play "political games".

The Briton has endured a mixed opening nine rounds of the season, collecting just two wins compared to Kimi Antonelli's five, but he remains firmly in title contention.

Due to several reliability issues for both drivers this year, Russell sits just 25 points adrift of Antonelli, keeping him within touching distance.

Despite this, Antonelli has received widespread praise in 2026, while Russell has been criticised for how often he has been beaten by the teenager.

Nevertheless, his future appears secure for 2027, with an option to remain with Mercedes in his contract, while Schumacher also sees no reason for him to be dropped.

"Don’t forget that George Russell has had a very long relationship with Toto Wolff," Schumacher said on the Backstage Boxengasse podcast. 

"Even as a child, he would approach him and say, ‘One day, I want to drive for you.’ As long as Russell continues to act professionally, doesn’t play political games, and doesn’t try to thwart Antonelli, I don’t really see any reason why Mercedes would replace him."

What Russell must do

While the Silver Arrows have no reason to replace the King's Lynn-born driver, Schumacher believes the team is more than aware that Antonelli is performing better.

In the German's eyes, Russell must continue delivering results and, when the opportunity arises, beat Antonelli whenever possible.

"Toto Wolff also made it very clear in our interview how he views the situation," added Schumacher. "He literally said that Kimi ‘is in a different class.’ You really can’t put it any clearer than that. And to be fair: right now, that’s exactly how it is.

"Toto has a driver he’s known for years, whose capabilities he knows inside and out. Moreover, we’ve seen that a few retirements can suddenly make the championship look very different. Of course, Mercedes also made mistakes, but Russell is currently facing a lot of criticism from all sides.

"That’s why I think that if George wants to keep his seat, he simply has to accept that he needs to keep delivering good results and strike when he’s faster than Kimi or when Kimi is having problems."