The Briton won at the Red Bull Ring with a confident drive and kept Verstappen at bay. He reduced his deficit to Antonelli from 50 to 40 points.
George Russell returned to winning ways at the Austrian Grand Prix, the Mercedes driver claimed his second win of the season after a race in which he kept an inspired Max Verstappen (Red Bull) at bay and perfectly managed the Virtual Safety Car periods: "It's incredible to be back on top of the podium. It's been a while, so I'm definitely going to enjoy this tonight" declared Russell at the end of the race.
The Mercedes driver, who had not won since the Australian GP in March, delivered an impeccable performance at the Red Bull Ring, despite a small mistake at turn 3 in the final stages. Russell knew how to stay focused and hold off Verstappen's attack to cross the line in first position: "I had to push on every lap, and when you push to the limit, it's normal to make a small mistake, I knew how fast those behind were" he explained.
The win in Austria reduces Russell's deficit to his teammate Kimi Antonelli in the drivers' championship, going from 50 to 40 points. The Italian, who was third, remains championship leader, but the Briton has shown he can make up ground if he maintains this level of performance: "Kimi has been extraordinarily fast all season, so on every lap I looked at the timing screen. We pitted early and I knew it was going to be a long stint, but the team timed it perfectly" said Russell.
The Briton highlighted the psychological importance of this victory after a complicated start to the season: "The difficult races definitely test you psychologically, and these last two races have been vital to remind me that I can do it. On a circuit that probably doesn't suit my style very well, I was strong in qualifying and race pace" explained Russell, who also took pole in Barcelona.
Russell is already thinking about the next Grand Prix at Silverstone, his home race: "I'm looking forward to getting to Silverstone next week and seeing all the fans, I'm sure it's going to be great" said the Briton, who hopes to repeat the success of Austria on his favorite circuit.
The win at the Red Bull Ring has restored confidence to a driver who needed a result like that to remind himself that he can fight for the championship. Russell and Antonelli prepare for the British GP, where Mercedes will seek to further extend its lead in the constructors' championship.
