George Russell’s victory over Max Verstappen further narrows teammate Kimi Antonelli’s lead in the race for the drivers’ title.
Published June 28, 2026
A thirsty George Russell won from pole position at Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix, cutting his lead over Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli’s F1 championship to 40 points.
Max Verstappen crashed in qualifying and started fifth at the Red Bull team’s home circuit, but finished 1.6 seconds behind, while Antonelli finished 0.3 behind in third after a thrilling catch-up at the scenic Spielberg.
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The win was Russell’s second of the season after the opening race in Australia, and seventh of his career, and Mercedes’ seventh in eight races to date.
Antonelli had 171 points, compared to Russell’s 131, while Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton ran second and was fifth on Sunday after a wheel-to-wheel battle with Verstappen, dropping him to third with 125 points.
In the constructors’ standings, Mercedes has 302 points and Ferrari has 204 points.
“It’s incredible to be back on the top step. It’s been a little while, so I’m definitely going to enjoy it tonight,” Russell said. This will put him in the best possible mood for next weekend’s home British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
After taking the checkered flag, he revealed on the radio that his drinks system had failed during the race, and he was declared a “heat hazard” for the first time this season. “It was a great race. I’m getting a little thirsty,” he said.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri finished ahead of Hamilton in fourth place, with Red Bull’s Izak Hajjar sixth.
Last year’s Austrian winner and reigning champion Lando Norris was seventh, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was eighth, and Racing Bulls pair Liam Lawson and rookie Arvid Lindblad rounded out the top ten.
“We had to push every lap, but when you push that limit, there’s always one or two little mistakes,” Russell said.
“I knew how fast the guys were. Kimi was insanely fast all season, so I was looking at the timing board every lap.”
