George Russell Wins Austrian Grand Prix; Antonelli Leads Championship
George Russell won the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, holding off Max Verstappen to secure his second victory of 2026. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli finished third, maintaining his lead over Russell by 40 points. The race was the hottest in Austria's 63-year F1 history, with asphalt temperatures exceeding 50°C. Earlier practice and qualifying sessions saw Mercedes dominate, with Antonelli topping Friday's sessions and Russell leading final practice.
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F1 Standings 2026 After The Austrian Grand Prix
George Russell won the Austrian Grand Prix from pole position, reclaiming second place in the drivers' championship. Max Verstappen finished second in his Red Bull, his best result this season, after an intense duel with Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli finished third after early mistakes, but still holds a 40-point lead over Russell with 171 points. Lewis Hamilton sits third with 125 points, six behind Russell. In the constructors' championship, Mercedes leads with 302 points, followed by Ferrari (204) and McLaren (159). Antonelli's title bid faces pressure after a DNF in Barcelona and a shaky start in Austria, while Russell and Hamilton aim to close the gap in upcoming rounds.
Forbes - BusinessRussell admits to low point before closing championship gap on Antonelli
George Russell has admitted he reached a "low point" before narrowing his Formula 1 title-race deficit to Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli. Russell won the Austrian Grand Prix, his first victory since the season opener in Melbourne, and closed to within 40 points of Antonelli in the Drivers' Championship. Antonelli had earlier extended his lead to 68 points after winning five consecutive races, including Monaco. Russell described the previous months as tough, with races where everything seemed to go against him. He credited resilience for his turnaround, securing two pole positions and a win in Austria. Despite the progress, Russell remains cautious about the upcoming British Grand Prix at Silverstone, noting inconsistent car performance and uncertainty about maintaining momentum.
SkySports | NewsGeorge Russell Wins Austrian Grand Prix Amid Heatwave, Boosts F1 Title Hopes
George Russell secured a dominant victory at the Austrian Grand Prix on June 28, 2026, overcoming a broken drinks system and a severe heatwave. Starting from a controversial pole position, Russell held off Max Verstappen's upgraded Red Bull and his own Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli, with the top three finishing within two seconds. The win, his first non-sprint victory since the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, cuts Antonelli's championship lead to 40 points and moves Russell ahead of Lewis Hamilton in the standings. Hamilton (fifth) and Charles Leclerc (eighth) faded after a strong qualifying. The race was the first of the year run under F1's 'heat hazard' rules, requiring cooling vests. Both Cadillac cars retired early due to mechanical issues.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.George Russell wins Austrian Formula 1 Grand Prix
George Russell of Great Britain won the Austrian Formula 1 Grand Prix on June 28, 2026, finishing 1.611 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen and 1.986 seconds ahead of Italian driver Kimi Antonelli. The race marked Russell's fourth pole position of the season. The article also notes that Antonelli leads the Drivers' Championship and that the FIA has approved engine regulation changes for 2027 and 2028, including adjustments to the split between thermal and electric power. Additional news snippets cover rule changes starting from the Miami Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc's frustration during Japanese Grand Prix qualifying, and Verstappen's criticism of new regulations.
RecordGeorge Russell Wins Austrian Grand Prix in Scorching Heat, Verstappen Second
Mercedes driver George Russell won the thrilling Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg on June 28, 2026, securing his second victory of the season. The flawless Englishman finished ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who recovered from a Saturday crash, and championship leader Kimi Antonelli in the second Mercedes. The race was the hottest in Austria's 63-year Formula 1 history, with asphalt temperatures exceeding 50 degrees Celsius and cockpit temperatures over 50°C. The FIA issued a heat warning, allowing cooling vests, though many drivers declined due to system limitations. Russell defended his pole position confidently, while Lewis Hamilton finished fifth after a strong start. Nico Hülkenberg placed twelfth in the Audi. Antonelli retains the championship lead, 40 points ahead of Russell.
Nachrichten - WELTGeorge Russell Holds Off Max Verstappen to Win Austrian Grand Prix
George Russell won the Austrian Grand Prix, holding off Max Verstappen to take victory by 1.6 seconds. The Mercedes driver started from pole and managed pressure from Verstappen in the second half of the race. Kimi Antonelli, Russell's Mercedes teammate and championship leader, nearly overtook Verstappen for second but finished third, just 0.4 seconds behind. This was Russell's first win since the season opener in Australia, cutting his championship deficit to Antonelli to 40 points. The top five also included Oscar Piastri for McLaren and Lewis Hamilton for Ferrari. The next race is the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
SkySports | NewsRussell Tops Final Austria Practice Ahead of Antonelli and Hamilton
Mercedes driver George Russell produced a late surge to top the final practice session at the Austrian Grand Prix, setting a lap of 1:07.096s to edge out his Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli by 0.038 seconds. Antonelli, the championship leader, had dominated Friday's sessions and appeared set to continue that form on Saturday, but Russell's late flying lap flipped the script. Lewis Hamilton, driving for Ferrari, finished third, closing to within a tenth of Antonelli before Russell's fastest lap. The result sets up a tense qualifying session later on Saturday. Oscar Piastri placed fourth for McLaren ahead of teammate Lando Norris, while Red Bull's Max Verstappen was sixth. Charles Leclerc struggled in seventh, over three-tenths off the pace. Antonelli leads the championship by 41 points over Hamilton, with Russell a further nine points back.
SkySports | NewsAntonelli Dominates Austrian GP Friday Practice, Russell Trails
Formula 1 world championship leader Kimi Antonelli completed a Friday practice double at the Austrian Grand Prix, dominating the second session at the Red Bull Ring. The 19-year-old Mercedes driver set a time of 1:07.014s, finishing 0.237s ahead of McLaren's Oscar Piastri and 0.325s ahead of Lando Norris. His teammate George Russell struggled, finishing sixth, over six-tenths behind. Reigning champion Max Verstappen was fourth in his upgraded Red Bull, edging Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton. Antonelli's championship lead over Hamilton was cut to 41 points after a retirement in Barcelona, but his performance in Austria reasserted his status as title favorite. Cadillac encountered major issues, with Sergio Perez stopping on track and teammate Valtteri Bottas's car catching fire in the pit lane. Saturday's final practice and qualifying are scheduled next.
SkySports | NewsAntonelli tops Austria first practice as Red Bull, Norris suffer issues
In the first practice session for the Austrian Grand Prix, championship leader Kimi Antonelli led a Mercedes one-two ahead of George Russell, with Antonelli finishing 0.040s faster. McLaren's Oscar Piastri was third, but teammate Lando Norris lost 45 minutes due to a hydraulics leak. Red Bull faced reliability problems as Max Verstappen stopped twice in the pit lane with software issues, finishing fourth, 0.281s off the pace, and complaining of a shaking car under braking. Isack Hadjar also lost half the session after an engine change. Ferrari's upgraded engine is set for Saturday, while rookies including Dino Beganovic (Ferrari, 9th) took part in mandatory practice sessions.
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