Günther Steiner suggests George Russell could join Audi for the 2028 season—the Brit is under pressure at Mercedes due to Kimi Antonelli
Former Haas Formula 1 team principal Günther Steiner is certain: George Russell could already be looking at options outside of Mercedes. He hints that the British driver might be evaluating a potential move to Audi for the 2028 Formula 1 season.
Although he holds a seat at Mercedes, Russell’s future with the Brackley-based team has become a topic of discussion following the impressive performances of his teenage teammate, Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
After his back-to-back victories in China and Japan, the Italian became the youngest driver ever to lead the Drivers’ Championship and has continued to improve ever since. Heading into the summer break, Antonelli leads the standings with 219 points, followed by Lewis Hamilton with 169 points and Russell with 160 points.
Steiner Contradicts Mercedes’ Statements
During an appearance on the podcast *The Red Flags*, Steiner noted that internal dynamics at Mercedes are already pushing Russell to explore his options for the future. In addition to his rivalry with Antonelli, Russell may also be feeling the pressure stemming from growing speculation surrounding a potential move by four-time world champion Max Verstappen to Mercedes.
While Mercedes motorsports boss Toto Wolff has confirmed his intention to retain his current driver lineup for 2027, and Russell has also reaffirmed his commitment to his team, Steiner argues that Russell could be looking toward Audi for 2028.
“There’s a lot of interest from drivers in joining Audi for 2028,” he says. “They’re pretty well-positioned for next year, but in 2028 there might be an opportunity at Audi.”
Audi Is Making Solid Progress
“That’s a pretty interesting team because it’s making good progress. It seems to be on the right track with what they’re doing. I think there would be a few candidates. Carlos [Sainz], for sure.”
“I think George is also looking around now that he knows he’s with Kimi. He doesn’t want to stay with Kimi for the rest of his life, because there he knows exactly where he stands for the rest of his life. So he’s trying to find new opportunities.”
At the start of the 2026 season, Audi completed its full takeover of Sauber and secured Mattia Binotto and former Red Bull sporting director Jonathan Wheatley in leadership roles. The manufacturer has been developing its power unit since 2022.
Lead Driver Instead of Playing Second Fiddle?
Audi has the backing of an automotive heavyweight in the form of the Volkswagen Group, which has invested significant funds to provide the resources and technical expertise necessary to build a championship-winning operation from the ground up.
Of course, none of this means that Russell Brackley is heading to rival German territory, but an Audi factory seat for 2028 would at least give Russell a project he can take charge of himself, rather than a throne he currently has to fight to defend.