2026 - F1 Austrian Grand Prix Recap

By Ryan Wu

George Russell added further intrigue to this year's Championship race with a narrow victory over Max Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli as both drivers finished within two seconds of the English driver. Russell has now cut Antonelli’s championship lead to 40 points with plenty more to be contested, especially with a sprint race weekend upcoming at Silverstone.

A week after winning his maiden race for Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton finished in fifth place after qualifying in third, with his teammate Charles Leclerc down in a disappointing eighth after starting the race in the front row.

Race Recap

The opening lap of the race began with great drama as the Ferraris swapped places with Hamilton overtaking Leclerc within a few corners. Antonelli went off the track a few times in the first two laps trying to overtake Charles Leclerc and was eventually able to gain fourth place on lap seven of the race.

Max Verstappen and Hamilton had a great duel through the first third of the race as the two World Champions battled for third place and track position as they went back and forth with overtakes.

Carlos Sainz’s retirement on lap 24 brought some misfortune for Antonelli, as he had stopped for new tires just before the Virtual Safety Car was deployed, effectively eliminating the advantage drivers typically gain by pitting under caution conditions.

Ferrari appeared to struggle with tire temperature management, as Lewis Hamilton was forced to make an additional stop shortly after pitting during the Virtual Safety Car period. The extra stop cost him track position and allowed Oscar Piastri to overtake him.

The Red Bulls were showing great pace, allowing Isack Hadjar to climb up to P6 with a brilliant overtake on Leclerc during the late stages of the race.

It was a sprint to the finish in the closing stages of the race as Russell held off Verstappen to secure his second victory of the season. The Dutch driver reduced the gap to just 1.6 seconds by the chequered flag, while Antonelli remained close behind, finishing only 1.9 seconds adrift of his teammate.

It was a crucial result for Red Bull, as the team gained valuable points in its pursuit of last year's Constructors' Champions, McLaren, for third place in the standings.

Further ahead, Mercedes extended its advantage over Ferrari in the Constructors' Championship, increasing its lead to 302 points compared to Ferrari's 204.

Racing Refresh Driver of the Day

Max Verstappen, Red Bull

Final Points Finishing Positions (Provisionally)

1st:  George Russell

2nd: Max Verstappen

3rd: Kimi Antonelli

4th: Oscar Piastri

5th: Lewis Hamilton

6th: Isack Hadjar

7th: Lando Norris

8th: Charles Leclerc

9th: Liam Lawson

10th: Arvid Lindblad

Next on the F1 Schedule:

Great Britain Grand Prix: July 17th-19th