George Russell reigns at a frantic Austrian Grand Prix

George Russell is back on top. In a weekend where he was never headed apart from during pit sequences, the Mercedes driver secured a massive victory at the Red Bull Ring. This was only his second Sunday win of the 2026 season, and it could not have come at a more vital moment. By crossing the line first, Russell cut the championship lead of his Mercedes teammate, Kimi Antonelli, down to 40 points.

It was a relentless 71-lap race where only two seconds separated the top three. Max Verstappen, piloting an upgraded Red Bull, put in perhaps his best performance of the season, finishing just 1.6s behind Russell despite a late pit stop that left him charging to close a 10-second gap. Antonelli, meanwhile, struggled with his brakes early on but found late-race pace that proved just a little too late to snatch the win.

Elsewhere, it was a weekend of frustration. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc plummeted to P8 after an early pit stop and front-wing damage, while Cadillac endured a nightmare: both Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas retired early due to brake problems. Even with major upgrades, the team was left reflecting on a disastrous weekend where they could not even finish the race.