RUSSELL DOMINATES IN AUSTRIA AS FERRARI STRUGGLE IN A DIFFICULT SUNDAY
On a hot Austrian Sunday, George Russell returned to victory and ended his long wait for another win, which dated back to the opening race in Australia. After taking pole position on Saturday, the Mercedes driver controlled the race from start to finish and delivered a clean and calm performance without major mistakes.
At the start, Russell held the lead without trouble, while the action unfolded behind him. Lewis Hamilton made a strong move on Charles Leclerc after an early battle between the Ferrari drivers, moving into second place. Leclerc dropped back into the fight just behind, while Max Verstappen quickly became a key factor after a difficult qualifying, climbing through the field with strong race pace.
Kimi Antonelli also had a tough opening phase, running wide several times and losing positions, including to Verstappen. The Red Bull driver soon moved into the podium fight, showing one of his strongest race performances of the season as he closed in on the leaders.
Ferrari began to struggle with tyre degradation and race pace. Hamilton and Leclerc were both forced into early and repeated pit stops as they tried different strategies to recover positions. Despite brief battles with Verstappen, Hamilton eventually settled into a long and difficult race, while Leclerc fell further back as the Ferrari lacked consistent speed compared to Mercedes and Red Bull.
As the pit stop cycles unfolded, Russell stayed in control at the front, managing his tyres and keeping a steady gap. Verstappen, however, continued to close in during the middle stages of the race, putting pressure on the Mercedes leader. Antonelli also showed strong pace in clean air, at times matching the fastest drivers on track and staying in the podium fight.
Strategy played a key role throughout the race, with most teams committed to a two-stop plan due to high temperatures. Safety car timing also influenced pit decisions, including stops triggered by a technical issue for Sainz, which caused a Virtual Safety Car period.
In the final stages, Verstappen pushed hard and reduced the gap to Russell, but the Mercedes driver responded with consistent laps and maintained control. Antonelli secured third place after a strong and steady drive, keeping himself just ahead of the midfield battle and limiting damage in the championship fight.
At the chequered flag, Russell crossed the line to take a dominant win, followed by Verstappen in second place after a very strong comeback drive. Antonelli completed the podium in third after a solid but demanding race.
Behind them, Piastri finished fourth, while Hamilton could only manage fifth in a difficult day for Ferrari. Leclerc ended further down the order after a disappointing race where Ferrari never found strong race pace. Overall, Mercedes and Red Bull set the pace, while Ferrari ended the weekend as the fourth strongest team.
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