Russell wins Austrian GP, trims Antonelli's F1 lead to 40 points as Verstappen rebounds

Race in Spielberg

George Russell converted pole position into a controlled victory at the Red Bull Ring, finishing the Austrian Grand Prix 1.6 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen. It was Russell’s second win of 2026 (after the season-opening Australian GP) and the seventh of his Formula One career. The Mercedes driver led every lap, but had to defend persistently as Verstappen, who started fifth after a qualifying crash, carved through the field. Kimi Antonelli completed the podium just under two seconds behind Russell, keeping his championship lead intact.

“Incredible to be back on the top step. It's been a little while, so I am definitely going to enjoy this one this evening.”

The race was designated a “heat hazard” with track temperatures exceeding 50°C and air temperature at 35°C. Russell’s drinks system failed early, leaving him dehydrated through 71 laps. “Nice race for it to do so, I’m a little bit thirsty,” he radioed.

“I was having to push every single lap and when you push those boundaries there's bound to be a small mistake or two.”

Championship picture

Russell’s 25 points elevated him past Lewis Hamilton into second place in the drivers’ standings. Antonelli (171 points) leads Russell (131), with Hamilton third on 125. In the constructors’ fight, Mercedes (302) extended its advantage over Ferrari (204). The gap from first to second shrank to 40 points ahead of the British Grand Prix.

Kimi Antonelli171

George Russell131

Lewis Hamilton125

Oscar Piastri80

Lando Norris79

Charles Leclerc79

Max Verstappen73

Isack Hadjar42

Pierre Gasly41

Liam Lawson30

Kimi Antonelli

171 points

George Russell

131 points

Lewis Hamilton

125 points

Oscar Piastri

80 points

Lando Norris

79 points

Charles Leclerc

79 points

Max Verstappen

73 points

Isack Hadjar

42 points

Pierre Gasly

41 points

Liam Lawson

30 points

Data from the article text

Mercedes302

Ferrari204

McLaren159

Red Bull115

Alpine57

Racing Bulls44

Haas21

Williams11

Audi2

Aston Martin1

Cadillac0

Mercedes

302 points

Ferrari

204 points

McLaren

159 points

Red Bull

115 points

Alpine

57 points

Racing Bulls

44 points

Haas

21 points

Williams

11 points

Audi

2 points

Aston Martin

1 points

Cadillac

0 points

Data from the article text

Verstappen’s best day of 2026

Red Bull’s Verstappen delivered his strongest result of the year, finishing 1.6 seconds from the win after a rapid recovery drive. He passed Antonelli and Charles Leclerc on lap 2, then engaged in a wheel-to-wheel battle with Hamilton. After being re-passed by Hamilton on lap 11, Verstappen made the move stick on lap 22. Heavy orange-clad crowds cheered the quadruple world champion, who described the early laps as “quite fun” and expressed satisfaction with a near-victory. Verstappen’s performance came amid weekend speculation linking him to McLaren, though Red Bull’s major upgrade package clearly delivered at their home circuit.

“It was a very good race for us, the first few laps were quite fun. To be a few seconds from victory, I'm very happy.”

Ferrari stumbles

Ferrari started second and third with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, but neither reached the podium. Hamilton ran second early, duelled with Verstappen, and then lost ground after a three-stop strategy (versus two for the Mercedes and Red Bull). A virtual safety car for Carlos Sainz’s retirement on lap 24 prompted Hamilton to switch to soft tyres, a move that did not pay off. He finished fifth, with Leclerc eighth. Oscar Piastri took fourth for McLaren, ahead of Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) in sixth, reigning champion Lando Norris in seventh, and Racing Bulls pair Liam Lawson and rookie Arvid Lindblad rounding out the top ten.

“I was a little too enthusiastic in the first laps and didn't drive well, I made too many mistakes.”

What’s next

The championship continues immediately with the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on 5 July, Russell’s home race, where he will aim to further close the gap to his teenage teammate.