Verstappen on first real win fight of 2026
Max Verstappen said the Austrian Grand Prix was the first time in 2026 he has felt he could properly fight for a win, after finishing second to George Russell following Red Bull’s upgraded RB22 showing stronger pace. Verstappen said: "What was satisfying is that this was the first time I felt like actually I could fight for the win. That's a bit of a shame, but to be that close to a win I think is a great effort from the team. They have worked really hard to get these upgrades on the car here and this is the first time in the race where I felt really competitive and I could push a bit more."
Verstappen buoyed in Austria by 'first time' shot at race win
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A big chase by Kimi Antonelli! He sets the #DHL Fastest Lap but can't snatch P2 away from Max Verstappen.
#F1 #DHLF1 #AustrianGP #MomentsThatDeliver
5h ago
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What a race from @visacashapprb! They capped off a great double-points finish with the #DHL Fastest Pit Stop for Arvid Lindblad.
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2h ago
All the key moments from the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix
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Mercedes 1-3 in Austrian GP
Toto Wolff said Mercedes’ 1-3 in the Austrian Grand Prix was a timely “bounce back after Barcelona”, as George Russell converted pole into victory and Kimi Antonelli recovered to third behind Max Verstappen. Wolff said the team “made a good jump in terms of points this weekend” and praised its calm execution around two Virtual Safety Car periods, adding: “The tyres held on well… it was one of the good weekends.” He also felt Antonelli missed a chance by going “full attack” in the opening laps.
Wolff reviews Russell and Mercedes' Austria ‘bounce back’
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Alonso on overheating sensor behind Austrian pit-lane speeding penalty
Fernando Alonso says an overheating sensor may have led to his pit-lane speeding penalty at the Austrian Grand Prix. Alonso said: "They told me on the second stop to go around 75 kph on the pit lane manually. It happened sometimes in practice as well, a couple of weekends ago. The front wheel sensor sometimes gets too hot and reads a different speed. So, I guess it's that again."
Alonso presents Aston Martin theory after FIA issues Austria penalty
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Hamilton on Ferrari's power deficit to Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton says Ferrari will not be able to match Mercedes’ power “for a while” after finishing fifth at the Austrian Grand Prix. Hamilton said: "We're going to have to push really, really hard to see when we can get the next power upgrade. But yeah, when you're around these guys, it's just deployment. It doesn't necessarily feel so much as power because when you start to come out of the corner, it feels like you've got the grunt, but it's just deployment at the end. Ours stalls off, and you know, particularly Mercedes, they just keep going. So we've got to look at why and how we can improve that, but that's not going to come for a while."
Lewis Hamilton warns Ferrari F1 fix to catch Mercedes is 'a while' off
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Verstappen on Red Bull strategy in Austria
Max Verstappen said Red Bull’s strategy in Austria left him believing he could have kept George Russell behind in the fight for victory, after finishing 1.6 seconds behind the Mercedes driver. Verstappen said: "In hindsight, it's easier to say that but we will look back at it. It was still going to be a long stint on the tyres, but at the same time, my degradation was a bit better than George, so I'm pretty confident I could have kept him behind. It's still a very good result after quite some tough times, lately being better, now for the first time fighting for a win. That's a good step."
'I could have kept Russell behind' - Verstappen says strategy denied him chance of win
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Hamilton on Ferrari's Austrian GP reality check
Lewis Hamilton said Ferrari’s difficult Austrian Grand Prix was a “reality check” and that the team is still down on pace to Mercedes, after he finished fifth following his win at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix. Hamilton said: "I think it's more of a reality check. We do still have a good car but we are down compared to Mercedes just on pace - they are quicker and we have to keep developing. It doesn't mean we can't close that gap, but that one win doesn't mean we are going to be beating them all the time. We've got a lot of work to do, particularly power is where we're going to keep working."
Lewis Hamilton labels Austrian GP a 'reality check,' Ferrari off the 'pace' against strong Mercedes
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Hamilton questions Ferrari's lack of pace in Austria
Hamilton on Ferrari's tyre and straight-line struggles in Austria
Lewis Hamilton said Ferrari could not keep up on tyre performance and straight-line speed in the Austrian Grand Prix. Hamilton said: "I didn't agree with any of the tyres today, it was a very hard race, it was very tough and extremely hot. The rears just dropped off on every set of tyres for some reason, the balance was very open, very difficult. On Friday, we were six-tenths down in straight line speed, and I have to go and see what the cause was today, but it was not insignificant, but also, grip-wise, we just couldn't keep up with everyone."
Lewis Hamilton reveals cause of surprise Ferrari Austria letdown
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Wolff on Verstappen's role in Red Bull's Austrian GP pace
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff says Max Verstappen was the biggest factor in Red Bull’s pace at the Austrian Grand Prix in Spielberg, even with the team introducing a major upgrade. Wolff said: "Max is always good for playing a role in the championship. That [Red Bull] car performed well this weekend. I think the biggest factor this weekend was Max, to be honest. He's able to bring out everything that is in that car. You can see that with his team-mates. That's why you can never discount or underestimate the Verstappen factor for a championship."
Toto Wolff points to Max Verstappen factor behind Red Bull's Austria pace
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Leclerc on lacking clarity over Ferrari car direction
Charles Leclerc says he does not have a clear picture of what he wants from Ferrari’s car, after describing his Austrian Grand Prix as “incredibly difficult”. Leclerc said: "I think I've been working very hard in the past weeks because there was always one reason or another that made me struggle on the Sunday or on the Saturday. But at the moment, there's always a reason why there's a struggle, and that probably means that I don't really have a clear picture of what I want from this car, and yeah, I've got to find that."
'Always a reason I struggle' - Charles Leclerc mystified by Ferrari F1 slump
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Antonelli on mistakes and brake problems in Austria
Kimi Antonelli said mistakes and brake problems in his first stint cost him the chance to fight for the win at the Austrian Grand Prix. Antonelli said: "Obviously starting from P4, [the] first laps were really bad for me. And then I really struggled with brakes. I just lost a lot of time because I started to do mistakes... The mistakes were made and, I mean, you know, without them [I] probably could have had the chance to fight for P2 or even P1. But of course, easy to say now and need to make sure they don't happen again."
Kimi Antonelli identifies crucial problems that cost him F1 Austrian GP win
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Kimi Antonelli rues 'mistakes' in Austria GP: 'Too excited' but a 'good learning'
Hamilton on Verstappen battle at Turn 6 in Austria
Lewis Hamilton said Max Verstappen “should have backed out” and dismissed the Red Bull driver’s call for him to be penalised after their on-track battle at Turn 6 during the Austrian Grand Prix. Hamilton said: "It was great. Good fun. He went off on the outside. You don't expect to go around the outside of a champion. I wouldn't expect to go around the outside of him there and hold the line. He was behind at the apex and therefore should have backed out. I left him just enough room."
'He should have backed out' - Hamilton dismisses Verstappen's call for penalty
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Norris on Ferrari's Austrian GP struggles
Lando Norris said Ferrari’s struggles were the biggest shock of the Austrian Grand Prix. Norris said: "The shock was really Ferrari today, struggling so much. To be honest, I feel bad for them. I mean, when you have no power, you have to push like hell in the corners, and you can't do that with these tyres. It's a tough race for them."
Lando Norris highlights biggest shock of Austrian GP
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Winner and losers from F1's blistering Austrian Grand Prix
Russell impresses and Verstappen bounces back - driver ratings
How Ferrari explained its bafflingly underwhelming Austrian GP
Norris on McLaren trailing Mercedes in Austria
Lando Norris says McLaren are “a long way behind” Mercedes after finishing seventh at the Austrian Grand Prix, with George Russell winning at the Red Bull Ring. Norris said: "There's a reason he [Russell] is on pole by four tenths. I think we still struggled with the balance and it's still incredibly difficult to drive the car. I expect that's probably a similar story for everyone on track today, so we didn't change anything, we still have the same struggles and we just need time still to improve it."
Lando Norris issues grim McLaren verdict: ‘We're a long way behind’
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Piastri on Ferrari's Austrian GP pace and his improvement
Oscar Piastri said it was “a bit of a surprise” that Ferrari were not stronger at the Austrian Grand Prix after he climbed from seventh on the grid to finish fourth, ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. Piastri said: "A bit, yeah. I think today was a really strong afternoon. I think it was a bit of a surprise that the Ferraris were not stronger, but on a personal level I thought it was a really good race. Barcelona was a big struggle and [we] had some things to learn and improve on from there, and I feel like this weekend's been a massive improvement from that."
Piastri surprised to beat Ferrari after P4 in Austria
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F1 - 2026 Austrian Grand Prix Post-Race Press Conference Transcript
Lawson and Perez avoid penalties
Liam Lawson and Sergio Perez have both avoided penalties from the stewards at the Austrian Grand Prix despite separate rules breaches. Lawson was investigated after crossing the pit exit white line while trying to line up for a practice start, with the stewards concluding that “albeit a breach technically occurred, the actions taken…were appropriate given the circumstances”. Perez was also let off after his car “moved before the start signal was given”, as he had already retired with overheating brakes by the time it was reported.
Liam Lawson and Sergio Perez escape punishments despite F1 rules breaches
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Antonelli on early mistakes and brake problems in Austria
Kimi Antonelli said early mistakes and brake problems meant he joined “the party” too late to mount a proper fight for victory in the Austrian Grand Prix. Kimi Antonelli said: "I was a bit too excited in the first laps and definitely didn't drive well. Too many mistakes and even in the first stint with the medium, I lost 3-4 seconds with mistakes. I was struggling with the brakes but after we changed tyre I reset and the pace at the end was very strong. It was a shame I joined the party a bit too late."
Antonelli frustrated to join ‘the party too late' in Austria
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Verstappen on Red Bull's positive second place in Austria
Max Verstappen said Red Bull’s second place at the Austrian Grand Prix was “extremely positive” after he finished 1.6 seconds behind winner George Russell at the Red Bull Ring. Verstappen said: "I think it was of course a very good race for us. The first few laps were quite fun and then it was trying to manage your tyres. Then we picked up let's say a few issues with the car which prevented me from basically finding that nice rhythm. But still, to be second and close to a win I think is extremely positive for us. So in that sense, I'm very happy."
Verstappen reflects on 'extremely positive' Austrian GP
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