George Russell picked up his second win of the season and second career win at the Red Bull Ring as he earned victory at the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday.
Russell’s win meant he bridged the gap to team-mate and championship leader Kimi Antonelli to 40 points.
It was the British driver’s second win in 2026 having previously won the season-opening race in Australia before Antonelli then won five consecutive races to take control in the championship.
Lewis Hamilton, race winner in Barcelona two weeks prior, had a disappointing display in his Ferrari, steering it to a fifth-placed finish despite the team bringing an upgraded car to Austria.
Here are my ratings for how the drivers performed across the whole weekend in Spielberg.
George Russell – 9/10
Converted pole into a superbly controlled victory despite losing his drinks system in the extreme heat. No hydration break needed. Absorbed pressure from a charging Max Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli and a timely reminder of his race-winning quality.
Max Verstappen – 8.5/10
Bounced back brilliantly from his qualifying crash to finish second. Aggressive, fast and within touching distance of victory. Great battling with Lewis Hamilton too.
Kimi Antonelli – 7.5/10
Returned from his retirement in Barcelona last time out with a podium to keep his healthy gap at the top of the championship. A slightly untimely VSC stop cost him a chance of challenging for the win.
Oscar Piastri – 7/10
Quiet but efficient afternoon to salvage fourth. Didn’t quite have the pace to join the fight ahead but maximised the McLaren package.
Lewis Hamilton – 6.5/10
Looked quick in qualifying but Ferrari lacked race pace compared with Mercedes and Red Bull. Felt more was possible without the bizarre use of the soft tyre but ultimately Ferrari felt they had no choice.
Isack Hadjar – 6/10
A good drive to sixth after a poor qualifying session. The pace wasn’t bad but it was a frustrating weekend by his standards, added to the fact his team-mate was on the podium.
Lando Norris – 6.5/10
Lost ground at the start and never quite recovered. A frustrating weekend after showing great race pace on Friday.
Charles Leclerc – 5/10
Started on the front row but that was as high as he got. Slipped back as his race pace faded. A disappointing return from such a brilliant grid position.
Liam Lawson – 7/10
Another composed drive into the points. Extracted everything available from the Racing Bulls machinery.
Arvid Lindblad – 6.5/10
Another great rookie display to score another top-10 finish. Looked confident all weekend but will be looking now to try and get the upper hand on his more experienced team-mate.
Gabriel Bortoleto – 6/10
A tidy race to lead Audi home and finish just outside the points.
Nico Hulkenberg – 5.5/10
Solid enough but finishing behind Bortoleto takes the shine off it. He gained places from his lowly starting position, however.
Pierre Gasly – 5/10
Slipped down the order so a disappointing Sunday for Alpine who just looked short on pace.
Ollie Bearman – 4.5/10
A clean but anonymous afternoon for Bearman. Haas didn’t have much to fight with.
Franco Colapinto – 4.5/10
Not spectacular but a steady finish for Colapinto, who kept his Alpine out of trouble.
Esteban Ocon – 4/10
Finished behind team-mate Ollie Bearman again, which made for a poor return. Lost ground at the start and never looked like a points contender.
Alex Albon – 4/10
Williams had a tough race and Alex Albon finished two laps down. Unlike this team-mate Carlos Sainz, he at least got to the flag.
Fernando Alonso – 4.5/10
The final classified finisher. He gained places largely through others retiring, however his five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane made this another race for Aston Martin to forget.
Lance Stroll – 3.5/10
Aston Martin driver retired after 45 laps, ending a difficult race from the back row.
Carlos Sainz – 4/10
Out after 23 laps when his car stopped on the pit straight. Led Williams once again in qualifying which is all that can be said.
Sergio Perez – 4/10
Only lasted a few laps for Cadillac. Out-qualified team-mate Valtteri Bottas but barely turned a wheel this weekend with several car issues in practice plaguing him during the race, too.
Valtteri Bottas – 3.5/10
The first retirement, after just two laps. There was almost no race to judge. Started behind his team-mate but Cadillac’s Sunday was over before it had begun.
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