Red hot Russell beats Verstappen to win scorching Austrian GP

SPIELBERG, Austria — George Russell showed he can stand the heat in more ways than one, as he won the Austrian Grand Prix to revive his Formula One title chances.

Racing in a heatwave with a broken drinks system, Russell held off Max Verstappen and his own teammate Kimi Antonelli to turn his controversial pole position into a dominant win.

It's the first win for Russell, excluding sprint races, since the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. Russell said it was "incredible" to win again after struggling to compete with Antonelli, as his teammate racked up five straight victories earlier in the season.

"It's been a tough couple of months with some really tricky races, with races that felt like everything was going against me, then some races with some tough performances," he said.

Verstappen took the fight to Mercedes with his upgraded Red Bull car at the team's home race, but couldn't get close enough for a shot at Russell, finishing on the defensive against Antonelli. The top three were separated by just two seconds at the finish.

Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari failed to build on his breakthrough win at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix last time out, fading badly in the race, despite qualifying well, with the seven-time champion finishing fifth and teammate Charles Leclerc in eighth place.

With his seventh career win, Russell takes back second in the standings from Hamilton and cuts Antonelli's lead to 40 points.

"I have a lot of confidence in myself, knowing I can do it. I have less confidence in being able to get everything aligned with the car, the set-up and the tires, because it's just been so up and down for me," Russell said.

Antonelli was left to rue mistakes that he said had cost him valuable seconds early in the race. "It was a shame that I joined the party a bit too late," the 19-year-old said.

Smart approach to racing

Russell took pole Saturday with a lap time set just as a yellow flag was displayed for a crash by Verstappen. Russell argued he'd lifted off enough to be safe and the stewards agreed.

Sunday's win showed off Russell's smart approach to racing in a different way, as he managed his pace and stayed out of trouble, even as those behind him lost time battling each other for position.

Leclerc had started second, with Hamilton third, but they gradually dropped back through the field on a track where they lacked power compared to Mercedes and also had difficulties with tire wear.

Hamilton didn't give up without a fight, bringing back memories of his fierce battles with Verstappen in 2021. Hamilton and the Dutch driver fought tire-to-tire in the early part of the race, and Verstappen complained Hamilton had forced him wide into a gravel trap.

Fourth place for Oscar Piastri was a positive sign for McLaren, with defending champion Lando Norris finishing seventh, but it came with a warning from team principal Andrea Stella.

It was an example of "excellent strategy", but "we are not in a position to fight for victories and podiums on pure pace at the moment," Stella said.

Cadillac feels the heat

The heatwave sweeping Europe made this the first race of the year to be run under F1's "heat hazard" rules, with drivers required to use cooling vests or carry an equivalent weight in ballast. They lined up for the pre-race Austrian anthem in cooling gear and carrying umbrellas.

Overheating brakes were an issue, with Antonelli among those struggling to stop the car. Both Cadillac drivers retired early, with the team's crew rushing to put out a small fire on Valtteri Bottas' car, before Sergio Perez also reported smoke.

F1's newest team is launching an investigation into the issues. "We have made progress in terms of pace, and the gap from the rear of the field is growing, but we need to ensure we have the reliability to demonstrate it," team principal Graeme Lowdon said.

AP