Austrian GP report: George Russell triumphs while Ferrari slips down the order

Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari 2026 F1

Austrian GP 2026 race results: Russell wins as Ferrari fades

Race day finally arrived at the Red Bull Ring following the controversy surrounding George Russell’s pole position. Although grid position is not usually as decisive at Spielberg as it is at many other circuits, Ferrari arrived hoping to build on its victory in Barcelona, while Mercedes was determined to return to winning ways after its setback in Catalonia. Red Bull and McLaren were also firmly in the fight, ready to capitalize on any opportunity that came their way.

For the opening stint of the 71-lap race, almost the entire field opted for the medium compound (C3). The only exceptions were Gabriel Bortoleto and Carlos Sainz, who gambled on starting with the soft tyres.

Hamilton passes Leclerc at the start

When the lights went out, George Russell made an excellent getaway and comfortably retained the lead ahead of the two Ferraris. Kimi Antonelli settled into fourth place ahead of Max Verstappen, while an intense intra-team battle immediately unfolded at Ferrari.

Lewis Hamilton wasted no time in attacking teammate Charles Leclerc, sweeping past him to move into second place behind Russell. On lap two, Antonelli briefly overtook Leclerc after running deep into the corner before handing the position back. Max Verstappen took advantage of the situation to climb into fourth before quickly passing Leclerc, whose SF-26 was already beginning to struggle for pace.

By lap three, Antonelli, now fifth, was closing rapidly on the Ferrari. Five laps later, he completed the move, while Leclerc’s race pace appeared to be fading. On lap 10, the spotlight shifted to a spectacular battle between Hamilton and Verstappen, with the pair exchanging positions several times as the Ferrari driver fought hard to defend second place.

Strategy shakes up the race

Hamilton was the first of the front-runners to make his opening pit stop on lap 13, switching to the hard tyres. Charles Leclerc followed one lap later, opting for another set of medium tyres. Verstappen stopped on lap 19, immediately followed by Russell, with the Dutchman rejoining just behind Hamilton, who was running fourth by lap 21.

Lando Norris pitted on lap 22, while Verstappen continued to pressure Hamilton. On lap 23, Verstappen briefly completed the overtake, but Hamilton immediately fought back, keeping the battle alive.

Race strategy changed dramatically on lap 25 when a Virtual Safety Car was deployed after Carlos Sainz stopped on track. Antonelli used the neutralization to pit and rejoined just behind Leclerc. Hamilton also took advantage of the VSC, fitting the soft compound tyres. When racing resumed on lap 27, Hamilton found himself seventh behind Isack Hadjar.

On lap 31, Antonelli finally managed to overtake Leclerc and move into third place.

Ferrari’s race begins to unravel

At half distance, the top ten order stood as follows: Russell, Verstappen, Antonelli, Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, Hamilton, Hadjar, Norris, Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson.

Leclerc’s difficult afternoon continued only a few laps later. On lap 37, Oscar Piastri overtook the Ferrari driver, and Lewis Hamilton also found a way through shortly afterwards. Leclerc then made another pit stop for hard tyres, dropping to eighth place before moving back up to seventh following Hadjar’s stop.

Hamilton made his second stop on lap 42, with Piastri and Russell following immediately afterwards. That temporarily promoted Verstappen into the lead ahead of Antonelli. Norris pitted on lap 48 and dropped to eighth, while Piastri later overtook Leclerc. Verstappen made his final stop on lap 50 and returned to the track in third place. Antonelli completed his last pit stop on lap 52, fitting hard tyres before rejoining in third.

One lap later, Hamilton overtook Leclerc once again, just before another Virtual Safety Car was called after debris from Alexander Albon’s Williams was left on the circuit. The interruption was brief, but Leclerc’s troubles continued as Isack Hadjar passed him for seventh place, with Norris also overtaking the Ferrari driver shortly afterwards.

Leclerc made a final stop on lap 60 for soft tyres, rejoining in eighth place, over 25 seconds behind Norris. From that point onward, the race settled down, with few significant battles in the closing laps.

George Russell seals victory in Austria

George Russell controlled the race superbly to secure victory for Mercedes, finishing ahead of Max Verstappen and teammate Kimi Antonelli, who completed a double podium for the Silver Arrows. Ferrari’s strong qualifying performance ultimately failed to translate into race pace, with Lewis Hamilton salvaging fifth place while Charles Leclerc slipped to eighth after a particularly difficult afternoon.