Formula 1 has returned to action at Austria’s Red Bull Ring circuit in one of the most beautiful locations I have ever reported from, and in very hot conditions it was Mercedes’ George Russell who claimed the victory spoils.

Ferrari, Red Bull, Audi and Cadillac were amongst the teams which arrived with significant upgrades to their cars, and as they took to the track for Friday’s opening free practice session, it was the Mercedes duo of Kimi Antonelli and Russell who topped the timing screens ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. In the later second practice period Antonelli again led the way, followed by the McLarens of Piastri and Lando Norris plus Verstappen, and at the end of Saturday’s final practice hour the two Mercedes drivers were again on top, if this time with Russell fastest.

Qualifying followed and, as the top ten shootout neared its conclusion, a flying Verstappen crashed out at Turn 9 following a sudden loss of rear downforce, for which the team later apologised. This incident triggered instant yellow flags, and Russell, who was immediately behind the Red Bull driver, lifted off his accelerator a little in response to the yellow flag conditions before continuing to the line and claiming a controversial pole position ahead of the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. Antonelli aborted his final attempt after the Verstappen off, mistakenly believing it was a case of double waved yellows rather than single ones, and this meant he would start fourth, ahead of Verstappen and Norris.

Verstappen had to settle for second place at the Red Bull Ring

The Red Bull Ring is a particularly wonderful place to be on race day, as, under a baking sun, the organisers had planned all sorts of support events to entertain the sell-out crowd and even coordinate cheering competitions between the various grandstands before the Grand Prix itself. All good fun and very unlike the more formal, if informative, Silverstone circuit commentary over the years.

The formation lap at Spielberg began at exactly three pm local time, and it was the polesitter, Russell, who sprinted into an immediate lead, which, in effect, he was never to lose apart from during the pit stop phases. On only the second lap Verstappen had moved up to third behind Russell and Hamilton, and shortly afterwards we witnessed some hard but clean battling between the two multiple champions, with the latter retaining his advantage. Following the first round of pit stops, we were entertained by further close action between the duo before, on this occasion, Verstappen edged ahead.

As the race progressed it became increasingly clear that the leading trio would be Russell, Verstappen and Antonelli, and so it proved to be come the chequered flag. Verstappen reduced the gap to Russell but was never quite close enough to challenge, and on the final lap his focus was far more on keeping Antonelli in third place to his rear.

In short, after 71 laps around the Red Bull Ring circuit, the three podium finishers were covered by less than two seconds, and the top six finishers were completed by Piastri, Hamilton and Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar. The result meant Antonelli remained comfortably ahead of Russell in the Drivers’ Championship rankings, while Mercedes stayed equally ahead of Ferrari on the Constructors’ front.

At the back of the field, Aston Martin’s miserable season continued, with Fernando Alonso picking up a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane and finishing last, three laps behind the winner and lapped by every other car. On top of this, Lance Stroll was forced to retire the other Aston Martin car.

Next up comes the British Grand Prix at Silverstone in just one week’s time, and so a major logistical exercise immediately followed the chequered flag in Austria. It’s a very different location and circuit from the Red Bull Ring, but it is steeped in Formula 1 history, and another massive attendance is guaranteed. Bring it on!

2026 Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix
1 George Russell (Mercedes) 1hr26m37.979s
2 Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +1.611s
3 Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +1.986s
4 Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +21.809s
5 Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +26.393s
6 Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) +29.399s
7 Lando Norris (McLaren) +31.505s
8 Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +45.659s
9 Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) Lapped
10 Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) Lapped
11 Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) Lapped
12 Nico Hülkenberg (Audi) Lapped
13 Pierre Gasly (Alpine) Lapped
14 Oliver Bearman (Haas) Lapped
15 Franco Colapinto (Alpine) Lapped
16 Esteban Ocon (Haas) Lapped
17 Alex Albon (Williams) Lapped
18 Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) Lapped
19 Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) Retired
20 Carlos Sainz (Williams) Retired
21 Sergio Pérez (Cadillac) Retired
22 Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac) Retired



2026 Drivers’ Championship
1 Kimi Antonelli 171
2 George Russell 131
3 Lewis Hamilton 125

2026 Constructors’ Championship
1 Mercedes 302
2 Ferrari 204
3 McLaren 159