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2026 FIA Formula One World Championship
2026 Austrian Grand Prix
Red Bull Ring
Spielberg, Austria
Sunday, 28 June 2026
Mercedes driver George Russell has called on this team to keep their foot on the accelerator to stay ahead of Ferrari going into the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday, June 28.
The Englishman claimed his first podium in five races with a P2 at the Barcelona Grand Prix, which was only the second time in 2026 he had finished ahead of Silver Arrows team-mate Kimi Antonelli.
Russell won the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, but a combination of bad luck and reliability problems saw him outshined by Antonelli in China, Japan, Miami, Canada and Monaco.
Image source: Alamy Stock Photo
The Mercedes duo were involved in another fierce battle in Montmelo, and the Drivers' Championship leader overtook Russell on lap 61 before being forced to retire one lap later due to a battery problem.
They were no match for Lewis Hamilton, however, after the Ferrari driver built up a commanding lead from lap 38 onwards to win his first race since the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix.
Russell closed the gap to Antonelli to 50 points, while he trails Hamilton by nine in third place. But the 28-year-old is wary of the potential threat posed by the Prancing Horse, who received an upgrade package in Catalonia.
Image source: Alamy Stock Photo
"A tough day, it's good to be back on the podium and have a bit of a clean race from my side. Ferrari were mighty impressive today and we need to keep on pushing," Russell said.
"Friday and Saturday were really strong and solid days for me, today was a little bit more challenging. Everything started off quite well, I felt good in the first stint, and then the last two stints it was a bit more difficult. But as I said, it's good to be back here.
"Yesterday was a real surprise for us in the team, and then the pace today was insane from Lewis. So yeah, they're coming I think.
"It's good to get some points on the board. It's not the race I would've wanted. At the moment, Lewis is also ahead of me in the Championship and their upgrades seem to be really strong."
2026 Barcelona Grand Prix results:
Winner: Lewis Hamilton - Ferrari
Second Place: George Russell - Mercedes
Third Place: Lando Norris - McLaren