The Mercedes driver took benefit of the accident between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris on lap 63 to realize an surprising victory.
George Russell gained the Austrian Grand Prix for Mercedes after triple world champion Max Verstappen of Purple Bull and Lando Norris of McLaren crashed late within the race whereas battling for the lead.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri completed second and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz third on the Purple Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria, on Sunday.
The very good victory was the primary for Mercedes since November 2022, when Russell triumphed in Brazil, and the second of the Briton’s profession.
“It’s not over till it’s over,” declared the jubilant winner after taking the chequered flag in a race that stored the thrill going till the ultimate 20 laps, when the battle between Verstappen and Norris boiled over.
A gradual 6.5-second pit cease for Verstappen on lap 52 introduced Norris again inside attain and within the ensuing duel the McLaren automobile loved a drag discount profit as Norris tried to overhaul.
“The staff has executed an unimaginable job to place us on this struggle. You need to be there on the finish to select up the items and that is the place we have been,” Russell stated earlier than climbing to the highest of the rostrum.
“We have been solely about 12 seconds behind and I knew it. [the collision] It was a risk. You are at all times dreaming.”
Russell had began third, with Verstappen on pole and Norris alongside him on the entrance row, however victory was handed to him after 63 of the 71 laps.
Each drivers suffered punctures, Norris limped again to the pits and retired, whereas Verstappen rejoined and completed fifth behind seven-time Mercedes world champion Lewis Hamilton.
The stewards gave the Dutch driver a 10-second penalty for inflicting the collision, however that made no distinction to Verstappen’s outcome, which elevated his championship result in 81 factors over Norris.
Nico Hulkenberg was sixth for Haas, a giant enhance for that staff, with Purple Bull’s Sergio Perez seventh and Kevin Magnussen eighth for Haas.
Daniel Ricciardo gave RB two factors in ninth and Pierre Gasly took the ultimate level for Renault-owned Alpine.