Piastri surprised by rival’s decline as Russell revives title hopes
George Russell showed he can stand the heat in more ways than one as he won the Austrian Grand Prix to revive his Formula 1 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. Aussie Oscar Piastri finished fourth.
George Russell after winning the Austrian Grand Prix. Getty Images
It’s the first win for Russell, excluding sprint races, since the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. Russell said it was “incredible to be back on the top step” after a “tricky run of form.”
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 and finished up 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 fifth and teammate Charles Leclerc eighth.
Russell takes back second in the standings from Hamilton with his seventh career win and cuts Antonelli’s lead to 40 points.
Russell’s smart win
Russell took pole Saturday with a lap time set 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 side by side in the early part of the race and Verstappen complained Hamilton had forced him wide into a gravel trap.
Racing in 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 a hot topic, 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 reported smoke.
Piastri’s surprise at Ferrari failure
Oscar Piastri on the track in Austria. Getty Images
McLaren driver Piastri managed to finish ahead of the Ferraris in Austria, with Lewis Hamilton fifth and Charles Leclerc eighth.
Leclerc had started the race from second while Hamilton was third, coming off his Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix victory.
Piastri wasn’t expecting the fall from his two rivals.
“I think it was a bit of a surprise that the Ferraris were not stronger, but on a personal level I thought it was a really good race,” he said post-race.
“Barcelona was a big struggle and [we] had some things to learn and improve on from there, and I feel like this weekend’s been a massive improvement from that, in a race that in some ways was a bit similar. Overall very happy with today.
“I think when it’s this hot, that seems to be beneficial for us at the moment.
Oscar Piastri answers questions from the media in Austria. Getty
“It has been in the past few years, and I think this year it’s still a bit of a trend, but we’re lacking the performance to go with it.
“So yeah, I think it was again a positive we’re able to beat Ferrari – we’ve still got a lot to find to catch Mercedes, and now Red Bull look very quick as well, so it’s going to be a constantly changing order, I think.”
Piastri’s teammate Lando Norris finished seventh. The Aussie now sits fourth in the drivers’ championship on 80 points while Russell has moved back into second at the expense of Hamilton after his win in Austria.
