F1 Austrian GP: Russell wins, Verstappen fights back

George Russell drove to his second win of the season at the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, leading from start to finish and finishing 1.6 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen. Verstappen, with a significant car upgrade, climbed from fifth to second. Kimi Antonelli finished third just 0.4 seconds behind the Red Bull.

The race took place during a heatwave, making brake cooling a challenge. After a strong performance in Barcelona, Ferrari entered the weekend with high hopes, but struggled. Lewis Hamilton finished fifth, Charles Leclerc eighth. The red cars lost their earlier tire wear advantage.

The first few laps were frenetic, but the race settled into a strategic battle with most overtaking occurring in the pits. Verstappen and Hamilton provided some entertaining wheel-to-wheel racing.

Red Bull's resurgence showed they can challenge Mercedes. Ferrari introduced a new engine and synthetic fuel but couldn't match the front-runners.

The FIA announced new power unit balances: in 2026 the V6 produces 536 hp (400 kW) and the electric motor 469 hp (350 kW). For 2027, the V6 output rises to 563 hp (420 kW) while the electric motor drops to 402 hp (300 kW).