Guenther Steiner thinks ‘nobody’ has noticed how ‘fantastic’ 130-race F1 driver has been in 2025, ‘it’s weird’

Guenther Steiner predicts McLaren will be the favourites to win the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend yet Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are not the only drivers shining.

Norris and Piastri have helped McLaren dominate across the early rounds after they won the Australian and Chinese Grands Prix from pole position respectively. But Steiner is astounded that ‘nobody’ has really noticed the ‘fantastic’ results one rival driver has produced this year.

McLaren already lead the F1 constructors’ standings with 78 points, ahead of Mercedes with 57 and Red Bull with 36, thanks to both of their pilots excelling. The Woking crew were likely set for a one-two in Melbourne before Piastri span in the damp, and sealed one in Shanghai.

Now, Steiner expects McLaren will continue to lead the way at the Japanese GP this week as F1 heads to Suzuka. Yet the challenging circuit will start to show the real pecking order to be the next-best, with it ‘so tight’ in Australia and China that the momentum frequently shifted.

Guenther Steiner thinks ‘nobody’ has noticed how ‘fantastic’ George Russell and Mercedes have been in F1 2025

Mercedes sit as the second-best team ahead of the Japanese GP thanks to George Russell scoring podium finishes in Australia and China. Only he and compatriot Norris have stood on the rostrum at each of the opening rounds to also be third and first in the drivers’ standings.

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Russell is enjoying the 27-year-old’s best start to an F1 season with P3 finishes in Melbourne and Shanghai, where he also came P4 in the Sprint. Yet former Haas team principal Steiner is shocked that the Briton and Mercedes have not earned the praise that their results deserve.

Part of the reason why Steiner says the King’s Lynn native has flown under the radar is Lewis Hamilton leaving Mercedes for Ferrari this year. Team principal Toto Wolff hailed Russell as a top-three F1 driver after his P3 in China but few others have seen his performances like that.

“We will really see in Japan where the cars are standing,” Steiner told talkSPORT. “It is the first racetrack with really fast corners [and] very challenging. But I think the favourites are the McLarens and then behind them it’s so close that you really don’t know who is good.

“Mercedes came out always pretty good but nobody noticed that strangely enough because Lewis has gone. It’s weird. George is doing a fantastic job and finished on the podium twice. But it was always, ‘Oh, he’s on the podium?’. But it will be a tight fight for the podium.”

George Russell has not finished outside the top six in his last 10 Grands Prix

While Steiner has seen the ‘fantastic job’ the Briton is doing this term, Ralf Schumacher feels Russell is ‘fighting’ for his Mercedes future as the 27-year-old is out of contract at the end of the year. The Silver Arrows are so far yet to lock down either of their drivers for next season.

Former Haas boss Steiner is not alone in admiring the Briton’s efforts after securing his 16th and 17th career podiums through 130 Grand Prix entries this year, though. A host of F1 fans feel Russell is the most underrated driver after being in the top six in his last 10 Grands Prix.