Russell wins Austrian Grand Prix ahead of Verstappen and Antonelli

George Russell said it was “good to remind himself that he can do it” as he claimed a morale-boosting victory from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in Austria.

It was Russell’s first win since the opening day of the season in Melbourne and allowed him to close to within 40 points of Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli at the top of the championship. The Italian teenager finished third, narrowly running out of time to catch Verstappen at the end.

There was disappointment for Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari, who were well off the pace both in terms of their car and their strategy. 

Hamilton finished fifth on a three-stop strategy, over 26 seconds behind Russell, with team-mate Charles Leclerc even further back. 

It is a blow to the seven-time world champion’s hopes of winning a record eighth title, although the Red Bull Ring is a bit of an outlier given its altitude. Hamilton drops behind Russell in the championship, 46 points behind Antonelli.

“The tough races definitely test you psychologically,” Russell said at the finish. “These last two weekends for me have been vitally important to remind myself I can do it. Single lap, race pace, was very strong this weekend, on a track that was probably not well suited to my style. I look forward to heading to Silverstone!”

More to follow…