George Russell strikes back to win F1 race in Austria, narrowing the championship gap

Formula 1George Russell strikes back to win F1 race in Austria, narrowing the championship gapRussell’s lights-to-flag victory reduces his deficit to fellow Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli’s to 40 points in the title standings, down from 68 points two races ago.Listen to this article with a free profile00:0000:00Mercedes' Italian driver Kimi Antonelli competes during the Formula One Austrian Grand Prix in Spielberg, Austria on June 28, 2026.ANDREJ ISAKOVIC / AFP via Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJune 28, 2026, 11:01 AM EDTBy Sahil KapurGeorge Russell won the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday, narrowing his deficit in the world championship standings.Limited time: Save 25% on NBC News subscriptionGet exclusive reporting, live Q&As and ad-free reading.His Mercedes teammate and chief rival Kimi Antonelli finished third, making a late charge but failing to catch Max Verstappen’s Red Bull, which crossed the line in second. The result cuts Antonelli’s lead in the standings over Russell to 40 points after it ballooned to 68 points just two races ago.The victory was a much-needed rebound for Russell in the scorching heat of the Styrian hills. He had won the first race of 2026 before the 19-year-old Antonelli reeled off five consecutive victories.“Incredible to be back on the top step. It’s been a little while so I’m definitely going to enjoy this one this evening, Russell said in a post-race interview. “Looking forward to a drink now!”Russell, 28, started the race on pole position and never lost his lead.Verstappen, who had crashed during qualifying Saturday, began the race fifth. The runner-up finish is his best result of the 2026 season at Red Bull’s home race. The four-time world champion has yet to win this year and has openly criticized the new regulations, even threatening to quit the sport.The Ferrari drivers of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc waged multiple wheel-to-wheel battles as they continue to vie for supremacy within the team. They a...