{"id":766205,"date":"2026-06-28T18:23:13","date_gmt":"2026-06-28T18:23:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/766205\/"},"modified":"2026-06-28T18:23:13","modified_gmt":"2026-06-28T18:23:13","slug":"russell-beats-verstappen-at-austrian-grand-prix-to-boost-f1-title-hopes-motorsports-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/766205\/","title":{"rendered":"Russell beats Verstappen at Austrian Grand Prix to boost F1 title hopes | Motorsports News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"article__subhead\">George Russell\u2019s victory over Max Verstappen further reduces teammate Kimi Antonelli\u2019s lead in the drivers\u2019 title race.<\/p>\n<p>Published On 28 Jun 202628 Jun 2026<\/p>\n<p class=\"tr-story-p1\">A thirsty George Russell won the Austrian Grand Prix from pole position on Sunday to trim Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli\u2019s Formula One championship lead to 40 points.<\/p>\n<p>Max Verstappen finished 1.6 seconds adrift,\u00a0after crashing in qualifying\u00a0and starting fifth, at his Red Bull team\u2019s home circuit with Antonelli third and 0.3 behind after a thrilling chase to the line at scenic Spielberg.<\/p>\n<p>Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list<\/p>\n<p>The win was\u00a0Russell\u2019s second of the season, after he took the opener in Australia, his career seventh and Mercedes\u2019 seventh in eight rounds so far.<\/p>\n<p>Antonelli has 171 points to\u00a0Russell\u2019s 131 with Ferrari\u2019s Lewis Hamilton, fifth on Sunday after running second and battling Verstappen wheel-to-wheel, dropping to third on 125.<\/p>\n<p>In the constructors\u2019 standings, Mercedes have 302 points to Ferrari\u2019s 204.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIncredible to be back on the top step. It\u2019s been a little while, so I am definitely going to enjoy this one this evening,\u201d said\u00a0Russell, who can now head to his home British GP at Silverstone next weekend on a high.<\/p>\n<p>He revealed over the radio after taking the chequered flag that his drinks system had failed during the race, the first of the season to be declared a \u201cheat hazard\u201d. \u201cNice race for it to do so, I\u2019m a little bit thirsty,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Oscar Piastri was fourth for McLaren, ahead of Hamilton, with Isack Hadjar sixth for Red Bull.<\/p>\n<p>Reigning champion Lando Norris, last year\u2019s winner in Austria, was seventh with Ferrari\u2019s Charles Leclerc eighth and Racing Bulls pair Liam Lawson and rookie Arvid Lindblad completing the top 10.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was having to push every single lap and when you push those boundaries there\u2019s bound to be a small mistake or two,\u201d said\u00a0Russell.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI knew how quick the guys were behind. Kimi has been extraordinarily quick this whole season, so every lap I was looking at the timing board.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-arc-image-770 wp-image-4711791\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AFP__20260628__B8KW4W8__v1__HighRes__AutoPrixF1AutRace-1-1782662813.jpg\" alt=\"George Russell in action.\" fetchpriority=\"low\"\/>Russell wins the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, June 28 [Darko Bandic\/Pool via AFP]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"George Russell\u2019s victory over Max Verstappen further reduces teammate Kimi Antonelli\u2019s lead in the drivers\u2019 title race. 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