George Russell claimed victory in the F1 Austrian Grand Prix after holding off relentless pressure from Max Verstappen in a tense strategic battle. Kimi Antonelli completed an impressive Mercedes double podium in third, while Ferrari struggled to match the pace over long stints.
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Russell made a clean getaway to retain the lead into Turn 1, while Lewis Hamilton immediately passed Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc for third. Leclerc then lost another position to Verstappen, dropping to fourth, as Kimi Antonelli slipped back to fifth after a scrappy opening lap.
Antonelli quickly recovered and reclaimed fourth place from Leclerc on lap seven. Up front, Verstappen began hunting down Hamilton, with the pair engaging in an intense battle before Hamilton became one of the first frontrunners to pit on lap 13. Leclerc followed the Briton into the pits a lap later.
Verstappen extended his opening stint by six laps compared to Hamilton, while Russell stayed out until the end of lap 19 before making his first stop. The strategy briefly paid off for Verstappen, who overtook Hamilton for position on lap 22 after the pit cycle. Antonelli, yet to stop, inherited the race lead ahead of Russell and Verstappen, with Hamilton and Leclerc following. Ferrari, however, continued to struggle with tire degradation.
Antonelli finally made his first pit stop on lap 25, just before the race was neutralised by a Virtual Safety Car after Carlos Sainz stopped on the start-finish straight. Hamilton used the opportunity to make another stop and switch to the soft compound before racing resumed two laps later.
At half distance, Russell led Verstappen and Antonelli, but the Dutchman steadily erased the gap to the Mercedes. By lap 41 Verstappen was within striking distance, prompting Russell to make his second stop on lap 44. Verstappen inherited the lead, while Russell rejoined in third behind Antonelli.
Verstappen completed his next stop on lap 50, handing the lead back to Antonelli until the young Italian pitted two laps later. That restored Russell to the front, with Verstappen close behind for the final stint.
Although Verstappen initially looked quicker over the closing laps, his tire performance faded when it mattered most, leaving him unable to launch a decisive attack on Russell.
After a controlled and composed drive, Russell crossed the finish line to win the Austrian Grand Prix ahead of Verstappen, while Antonelli secured an impressive third place to complete a strong day for Mercedes.
The full results of the race according to FIA.com:
