George Russell wins Austrian Grand Prix as Alpine's Franco Colapinto battles power loss

George Russell secured his second victory of the 2026 Formula One season by winning the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring. Starting from pole, the Mercedes driver led most of the 71‑lap race and held off Max Verstappen, who finished second, while championship leader Kimi Antonelli completed the podium in third. Russell’s win narrowed Antonelli’s lead to 40 points in the Drivers’ Championship and extended Mercedes’ advantage in the Constructors’ standings.

Alpine’s Franco Colapinto experienced a loss of power at the start, dropping from 16th on the grid to finish 15th, and teammate Pierre Gasly also failed to score points. Colapinto described the race as “very difficult” and said the team still needs to analyse the technical fault. The race also saw Oscar Piastri fourth, Lewis Hamilton fifth and several retirements, including Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas.