F1 2026 Austrian Grand Prix results: Russell holds off Verstappen to win at the Red Bull Ring

George Russell claimed his second victory of the 2026 Formula 1 season after withstanding pressure from Max Verstappen and Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli during a dramatic Austrian Grand Prix.

The Mercedes driver converted pole position into victory, but only after perfectly managing his tyres across a hot, demanding race. 

Verstappen closed to within striking distance in the closing laps, while Antonelli also joined the fight, creating a thrilling three-way battle for the win that was settled by less than two seconds.

Behind them, Oscar Piastri finished fourth for McLaren, while Lewis Hamilton recovered from an aggressive three-stop strategy to take fifth for Ferrari. Lando Norris endured a more difficult afternoon, slipping to seventh in the latter stages.

Further back, Ollie Bearman struggled to 14th, while Arvid Lindblad claimed another valuable championship point with 10th place.

Full summary of the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix results

• Winner: George Russell (Mercedes)
• Second place: Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)
• Third place: Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
• Lewis Hamilton: Fifth after bold three-stop strategy
• Lando Norris: Seventh after fading late on
• Arvid Lindblad: Tenth to score another point
• Ollie Bearman: 14th after tough race

2026 Austrian Grand Prix results

Russell judges it perfectly to secure victory

George Russell launched cleanly from pole and controlled the opening stint before Mercedes found themselves under increasing pressure from Verstappen during the second phase of the race. 

By Lap 37 the Red Bull had reduced the deficit to just two seconds, and six laps later the gap had fallen to barely one.
Mercedes responded by bringing Russell in from the lead for his final stop, rejoining in third before the pit cycle restored him to the front.

Verstappen continued to chip away at the advantage in the closing laps, while Antonelli also entered the fight after charging through the field on fresher tyres.

Despite both rivals being within three seconds of him on the final lap, Russell didn’t put a wheel out of place, taking the chequered flag by just 1.6 seconds to get his title charge back on track, now sitting 40 points shy of Antonelli.

Antonelli completes Mercedes double podium

Starting fourth, Antonelli briefly climbed into third before being forced to hand the position back to Charles Leclerc after leaving the circuit. The delay also allowed Verstappen through, dropping the Mercedes driver to fifth.

Antonelli quickly regrouped, reclaiming fourth from Leclerc at Turn 9 on Lap 7, before opting for a longer opening stint than the rest of the front-runners.

Although a Virtual Safety Car was deployed just as he exited the pits following his stop from the lead, the neutralisation came too late and brought him no strategic benefit. 

By Lap 30 he had caught Leclerc again, sweeping past the Ferrari into Turn 4 before setting off after Verstappen and Russell.

Antonelli closed dramatically during the final stint and crossed the finish line three tenths behind Verstappen, completing another Mercedes double podium.

Hamilton and Ferrari fall short

After starting third, Hamilton immediately passed Charles Leclerc to move into second, before the pair exchanged blows over several laps, Hamilton eventually securing the position.

10 laps later, Verstappen found a way through after a prolonged wheel-to-wheel fight that saw the pair swap positions multiple times between Turns 3, 4 and 6.

Ferrari then committed Hamilton to an aggressive three-stop strategy, making him the first of the front-runners to pit before repeating the tactic later in the race.

The fresh tyres allowed Hamilton to carve back through the field, overtaking Isack Hadjar before producing an excellent move around the outside of Leclerc at Turn 6.

A final stop dropped Hamilton further back, leaving him unable to challenge the podium places in the closing stages, and he eventually crossed the line fifth after an ultimately frustrating afternoon.

Norris unable to repeat Barcelona podium

Another difficult qualifying session left Norris sixth on the grid, and although he briefly challenged Verstappen on the opening lap, he ended up losing out to the Dutchman and team-mate Oscar Piastri shortly afterwards.

Norris’ race was largely anonymous behind the leaders, and he slipped backwards as tyre wear took hold during the final stint, eventually finishing seventh.

Lindblad scores again while Bearman struggles

Qualifying 10th, Arvid Lindblad held position through the opening laps before briefly moving ahead of team-mate Liam Lawson during the second stint. 

Lawson eventually reclaimed the position, but Lindblad comfortably secured 10th place and another valuable championship point.

Ollie Bearman's afternoon proved considerably more difficult. Starting 13th, the Haas driver lost ground during the opening laps before eventually moving ahead of team-mate Esteban Ocon during the middle stint.

However, Bearman lacked the pace to challenge the midfield runners and ultimately crossed the line 14th.

2026 Austrian Grand Prix – key takeaways

• George Russell wins after resisting late pressure from Verstappen and Antonelli.
• Mercedes secures a double podium with Antonelli finishing third.
• Lewis Hamilton finishes fifth after an aggressive three-stop strategy.
• Lando Norris slips to seventh after fading in the closing stages.
• Arvid Lindblad scores another point with 10th place.
• Oliver Bearman brings his Haas home in 14th. 

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