Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team claims victory at Austrian Grand Prix

Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team announced Monday that driver George Russell won the 2026 F1 World Championship Austrian Grand Prix, held Sunday.

Teammate Kimi Antonelli also reached the podium in third place, giving the team a double podium finish and keeping Mercedes-AMG Petronas at the top of the 2026 constructors' championship standings.

Russell lifted the trophy for the second time this season and the seventh time in his F1 career, roughly three months after his victory at the season opener in Australia.

That Australian Grand Prix had drawn attention when the team — fielding a lineup drawn entirely from its junior program — secured a one-two finish, marking Mercedes' 61st such result in F1.

In Sunday's race, both Russell and Antonelli started on medium tires and completed the race on a medium-hard-hard two-stop strategy.

Russell led throughout and held his nerve against a fierce late charge from rival teams to seal the victory.

Antonelli used a strong pace in the final stages to rapidly close the gap on second-place Max Verstappen, pressing him until the final moments, but ultimately crossed the line in third — his sixth podium of the season.

With the result, Antonelli retained the lead in the drivers' world championship, while Russell cut his deficit to 40 points, keeping his title challenge alive. Mercedes-AMG Petronas leads the constructors' championship by 98 points and is on course as the season approaches its midpoint.

"It was far from an easy race, and I'm very pleased to have converted pole position into a win — especially while holding off the competition during that final stint," Russell said. "I'm delighted to have scored strong points with the team, and we'll be working hard to carry this momentum into Silverstone next week."

Meanwhile, Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team will next compete at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone Circuit, starting Friday.