06/28/26 09:46:00
Printable Page
06/28 09:44 CDT George Russell wins Austrian Grand Prix to boost his F1 title
chances
George Russell wins Austrian Grand Prix to boost his F1 title chances
SPIELBERG, Austria (AP) --- George Russell is firmly back in Formula 1 title
contention after turning his controversial pole position into a dominant win at
the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday.
Russell controlled the race throughout and held off a challenge from Red Bull's
Max Verstappen. His Mercedes teammate and standings leader Kimi Antonelli had
to settle for third after closing in on Verstappen on the final lap.
It's the first win for Russell, excluding sprint races, since the
season-opening Australian Grand Prix. "Good team result, well done everybody,"
he said.
Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari failed to build on his breakthrough win at the
Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix last time out, with the seven-time champion
fifth and teammate Charles Leclerc eighth.
Russell's smart win
Russell took pole Saturday with a lap time set as a yellow flag was displayed
for a crash by Max 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 Max 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.
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.
___
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
|