George Russell won the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday, narrowing his deficit in the world championship standings.
Limited time: Save 25% on NBC News subscription
Get exclusive reporting, live Q&As and ad-free reading.
His Mercedes teammate and chief rival Kimi Antonelli finished third, making a late charge but failing to catch Max Verstappen’s Red Bull, which crossed the line in second. The result cuts Antonelli’s lead in the standings over Russell to 40 points after it ballooned to 68 points just two races ago.
The victory was a much-needed rebound for Russell in the scorching heat of the Styrian hills. He had won the first race of 2026 before the 19-year-old Antonelli reeled off five consecutive victories.
“Incredible to be back on the top step. It’s been a little while so I’m definitely going to enjoy this one this evening, Russell said in a post-race interview. “Looking forward to a drink now!”
Russell, 28, started the race on pole position and never lost his lead.
Verstappen, who had crashed during qualifying Saturday, began the race fifth. The runner-up finish is his best result of the 2026 season at Red Bull’s home race. The four-time world champion has yet to win this year and has openly criticized the new regulations, even threatening to quit the sport.
The Ferrari drivers of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc waged multiple wheel-to-wheel battles as they continue to vie for supremacy within the team. They appeared to make contact on the opening lap as Hamilton muscled past Leclerc.
Despite starting second and third with hopes of contending for victory, both lost ground as the race wore on; Hamilton finished fifth, Leclerc eighth. It was the fifth consecutive race in which Hamilton, the seven-time world champion who joined Ferrari last year, finished ahead of his teammate.
Hamilton and Verstappen also renewed their old rivalry in a wheel-to-wheel fight, which the Red Bull driver won.
In the second half of the race, Verstappen closed in on Russell before the Mercedes driver pitted for fresh tires. Verstappen, struggling on worn rubber, finally pitted on Lap 49 of 71 but could never quite catch Russell, eventually turning his attention to holding off Antonelli for second.
“I think it was, of course, a very good race for us. The first few laps were quite fun and then it was like basically just trying to manage your tires,” Verstappen said after the race, noting unspecified “issues with the car” cost him rhythm in the closing stages of the race.
Russell said he values the momentum shift in the title fight.
“The tough races definitely test you psychologically,” he said. “And these last two weekends for me have been vitally important to remind myself I can do it.”
Meanwhile, Antonelli congratulated Russell and Verstappen and said he merely “minimized the mistakes” for himself on Sunday.
There are still 14 races to go this season, with victory awarding a maximum of 25 points for the winner. The next race is one weekend away on July 5, in Britain.
About the Author
