Former Haas Formula 1 team principal Guenther Steiner said on the Drive to Wynn podcast that younger drivers adapted more quickly to the 2026 regulations, giving championship leader Kimi Antonelli an advantage over Mercedes team-mate George Russell.
Steiner argued the younger generation's familiarity with technology and lack of long-standing "bad habits" makes it easier for them to use complicated steering wheels and adjust to different aerodynamics and power-unit changes.
Kimi Antonelli became the youngest driver to lead the championship after back-to-back wins at the Chinese and Japanese Grands Prix, and Steiner said George Russell had been his pre-season favourite but now faces a title threat.
Steiner framed the trend as a continuation of drivers who grew up with gaming and advanced tech adapting quickly, and said experienced drivers must unlearn behaviours to fully exploit the 2026 cars.
This article is based on reporting from Motorsport.
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