Mercedes driver George Russell secured his second victory of the season from pole position at the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday, June 28, 2026.
He held off Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who finished second after a recovery from fifth on the grid.
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Russell's teammate Kimi Antonelli finished third, completing a podium separated by just two seconds.
Race Highlights
The action-packed race at the Red Bull Ring saw intense battles early on.
Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc had a disappointing day, finishing fifth and eighth respectively.
Verstappen and Hamilton engaged in multiple wheel-to-wheel fights, exchanging positions on Lap 11 and again on Lap 22.
Verstappen executed a late lunge at Turn 3 but ultimately secured the position at Turn 6 before tracking Russell.
Prior to the race, Verstappen crashed into the barriers during Q3 qualifying.
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Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies confirmed the incident stemmed from a car issue, not driver error.
The team rebuilt the car and installed seven updated components for the race.
Strategic tire choices played a key role as Verstappen extended his second stint on medium tires before switching to hard tires on Lap 51.
Although a wide turn by Russell at Turn 1 briefly reduced the gap to seven seconds, Verstappen could not catch the leader.
Antonelli mounted a late charge despite dropping positions on the opening lap due to going off track twice.
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An overheating brake issue temporarily hindered his confidence, but he recovered to set the fastest times among the top three in the closing stages.
