George Russell won the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring and moved 10 points closer to Kimi Antonelli in the title fight.
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| Photo by Peter Fox |
During the weekend, Europe was hit by a heatwave, and the Austrian Red Bull Ring was no exception, with air temperatures reaching 34°C and track temperatures climbing to 50°C. This represented a true challenge for the drivers, the machinery and the fans around the circuit.
Despite the heat, Russell was the one who took full control of the Grand Prix. This race was crucial for him, as his teammate Kimi Antonelli led the Drivers' Championship by 50 points before the weekend, meaning Russell needed to fight back and reduce the gap to the Italian. And that is exactly what happened — George started from pole position after cleverly taking advantage of the yellow flag at the end of qualifying.
In the race itself, the British Mercedes driver never looked back and secured the full 25 points, as nobody was able to challenge him. Thanks to this victory, he gained 10 valuable points on championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who still holds a 40-point advantage.
“It’s incredible to be back on the top step. It’s been a little while.
“A lot of hard work from my team to get us back on track. Obviously there was a tricky run of form at one point.
“The tough races definitely test you psychologically, and these last two weekends for me have been vitally important to remind myself I can do it," said Russell after the race.
Max Verstappen, supported by the so-called Orange Army (Dutch fans), had a tough route to the podium after crashing in the final stage of qualifying and having to start from fifth position. However, he was in full control throughout the race and fought his way through the field to secure second place, which is also his best result of the season so far.
"The first few laps were quite fun and then it was trying to manage your tyres and honestly, I think the car was in quite a good window for I would say half of the race.
"Then we picked up let's say a few issues with the car which prevented me from basically finding that nice rhythm. But still, to be second and close to a win I think is extremely positive for us. So in that sense, I'm very happy," Max reflects on the Austrian GP.
The championship leader, Kimi Antonelli, lacked a bit of pace compared to George Russell but still managed to finish third.
Right behind the podium places finished Oscar Piastri. Fifth place belonged to Lewis Hamilton. For Ferrari, it was the first weekend with the upgraded combustion engine; however, they still lacked the pace to challenge the front-running Mercedes cars.
Isack Hadjar then finished sixth, while Lando Norris came home seventh. Behind them was the Racing Bulls duo of Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad.
The pinnacle of motorsport, Formula 1, will now move to the circuit where it all started in 1950 — Silverstone. This legendary and fast circuit is also the home race for several drivers, such as Lewis Hamilton, George Russell, Lando Norris, Arvid Lindblad and Ollie Bearman, so perhaps we will hear the British anthem on British soil. The race weekend starts on Friday with one free practice session and sprint qualifying.