George Russell ends 112-day win drought with Austrian Grand Prix victory to reignite title hopes

George Russell bellowed “Yabba-dabba-doo!” over the team radio as he crossed the line at the Red Bull Ring, ending an agonising 112-day wait for victory and breathing new life into his world championship campaign. The Mercedes driver, winless since the opening race in Melbourne on March 8, delivered a cold-blooded performance to hold off Max Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli, cutting Antonelli’s title lead from 50 points to 40 ahead of next weekend’s British Grand Prix. Russell’s triumph also lifted him above Lewis Hamilton into second in the drivers’ standings after a questionable three-stop strategy scuppered the Ferrari driver’s challenge – Hamilton finished fifth and now trails the championship leader by 46 points. “It was a perfect execution by George,” said Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff. “He was quick, he managed the tyres well, cold-blooded, and I am really happy for him.” Russell, 28, began the year as title favourite and stormed to a dominant victory in Australia, but the momentum swung to the other side of the Mercedes garage as his junior teammate Antonelli won five races, leaving Russell scrambling for answers. “The tough races test you psychologically,” Russell admitted. “It has been a tough couple of months with races which felt like everything was going against me, and then an incredible team-mate who has been delivering spectacular performances, week-in-week-out. I know I am capable of doing it. This year, I never doubted my ability, I just doubted the process, and I’ve needed to get on top of that. But I have not forgotten how to drive.” He added: “To claim the last two pole-positions, and a win here this weekend, at a track which isn’t especially suited to me, I am really, really proud of that.” Verstappen had threatened to crash Russell’s party, closing to just over a second behind, but the concluding round of pit-stops ended his challenge. Hamilton, hoping to build on his first Ferrari win in Barcelona a fortnight ago, fought an early brilliant battle with Verstappen for second but could only manage a distant fifth. Russell now carries the weight of victory into his home event at Silverstone, where he hopes the result will serve as a springboard to further glory.