Russell wins in Austria: Mercedes can't be stopped

Mercedes driver George Russell won the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix from pole position. In a race that lasted 71 laps at the Red Bull Ring under hot conditions, Russell held control from start to finish, once again showing he is one of the season's most consistent performers.

Behind Russell, second place went to Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who put in a strong drive from fifth on the grid. Third place went to championship leader Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes' young driver. Mercedes thus shared the podium between their own drivers once again, reinforcing the dominance that has defined their season. The Silver Arrows duo of Antonelli and Russell have now won seven of eight races, a run broken only by Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton in Spain.

For Ferrari, however, it was a disappointing day. Starting third, Hamilton tried an early pit strategy for the second race in a row to get ahead of his rivals; but a difficult stint on soft tyres on the hot track reduced his chances, and he finished fifth. Charles Leclerc, who started on the front row alongside Russell, could not find the pace he wanted all day; struggling on the hard tyres with the Ferrari, he came home eighth. McLaren's Oscar Piastri was fourth and Lando Norris seventh, while sixth place went to Red Bull's Isack Hadjar.

In the title race, the picture heated up. Having entered 50 points behind Antonelli, Russell cut the gap to 40 with this win and climbed back to second in the standings. Although Antonelli retains the lead, the intra-team battle looks set to become even more closely fought over the rest of the season.

Image: BBC