At the Austrian Grand Prix, George Russell not only secured the victory but also achieved a crucial breakthrough in the World Championship battle
George Russell secured his second win of the season at the Austrian Grand Prix. The Mercedes driver was understandably delighted after the race in Spielberg.
“It’s incredible to be back on the top step of the podium,” he said immediately after the Grand Prix. “It’s been a while, so I’m really going to enjoy this tonight.”
“It took a lot of hard work from my team to get us back on track,” explained the seven-time Grand Prix winner. Yet the triumph in Spielberg—just like the pole position the day before—was anything but a foregone conclusion.
Alongside teammate Kimi Antonelli, Max Verstappen in his RB22 was a potential contender for the win. “Max and Red Bull were incredibly fast this weekend,” Russell emphasized. “So kudos to [that duo]. But a big thank you to everyone! Thanks to the fans! It was damn hot out there, so I’m looking forward to a drink now.”
In the World Championship standings, Russell is back in second place, 40 points behind his teammate Antonelli. In this context, Sky expert Timo Glock emphasized after the race just how important the 28-year-old’s victory is likely to be—not only for the points standings but, above all, for his mental state.
“[He] made a statement at just the right time, and you can see that,” Glock said on Sky Sport F1.
Russell himself struck a similar note after the Grand Prix: “You know, the really tough races test you mentally,” said the Mercedes driver. “The last two weekends were important for me to remind myself: ‘Yes, I can do this!’”
“The single-lap pace was,” as Russell points out, “really strong all weekend. And that’s on a track that probably doesn’t really suit my driving style. So I’m looking forward to Silverstone next week and seeing the home fans there. I’m sure it’ll be great!”
Commenting on the Mercedes driver’s turnaround, Team Principal Toto Wolff told Sky Sport F1: “ If we’d been talking about George’s form 36 hours ago, everyone would have said, ‘Yeah, this isn’t working at all!’
“And now it’s Sunday afternoon, and the sky is full of roses again,” as the team principal put it. “You have to be careful to recognize the consistency here. And there can be outliers—both up and down. “
”But,“ as Wolff explicitly points out, ”this is a world championship. He’s still very much in the running—and [scoring] points.”
On Sky Sports F1, the question is raised as to what exactly is making the difference for Russell right now. Here, Wolff uses a phrase that already caused a stir on Saturday: “Just drive.”
“It’s never good when you race drivers think too much,” Wolff emphasizes to former Formula 1 driver and Sky expert Anthony Davidson. “They’re very good at driving, but they should leave the thinking to the people in the garage.”
Russell had already laid the groundwork for 25 points on Saturday. Not only did the 28-year-old secure a convincing pole position, but he also executed a strategically clever maneuver.
A yellow flag was displayed in that area following an accident involving Max Verstappen at the exit of Turn 9. However, since it wasn’t a double-yellow situation, Russell was able to continue his decisive lap with a big lift off the throttle before the corner.
His teammate Antonelli, on the other hand, thought double yellow flags would be waved at Turn 9 and consequently aborted his final lap. On the podium at Spielberg, the 19-year-old finished third behind Max Verstappen and took home 15 points.
Antonelli emphasized after the Austrian Grand Prix that the form of the two Mercedes drivers often fluctuates: “Some weekends [George] will be ahead of me, other weekends I’ll be ahead of him,” he told Sky Sports F1.
“He’s very strong; he’s a well-rounded driver, and especially in qualifying, he’s still a step ahead of me, particularly toward the end. That’s where he can squeeze out a little bit more performance.”
