2026 Austrian Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

Round 8 of the 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship returned to the Red Bull Ring for the Formula 1 Lenovo Austrian 2026.

Lee Parker

By Lee Parker
Published on June 28, 2026

Reviewed and checked by Mark Phelan

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George Russell 2026 Austrian GP Winner
George Russell (car no.63) for Mercedes wins the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix // Image: Mercedes Media

Formula 1’s European summer stretch rolled on as the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix brought the paddock to one of the sport’s most scenic and unforgiving venues. Nestled among the rolling Styrian hills, the Red Bull Ring provided a spectacular backdrop for Round 8 of the 2026 F1 World Championship.

Race Guide

Season: 2026 F1 World Championship
Race date: Sunday, 28 June 2026
Race start time: 15:00 local time
Circuit: Red Bull Ring
Laps: 71
Circuit length: 4.318km
2025 winner: Lando Norris

Pole position
DriverGeorge RussellMercedes
Time1:06.113
Fastest lap
DriverKimi AntonelliMercedes
Time1:10.374 on lap 59
Podium
FirstGeorge RussellMercedes
SecondMax VerstappenRed Bull Racing
ThirdKimi AntonelliMercedes

Red Bull Ring Stats

Few circuits on the Formula 1 calendar pack as much action into such a short lap as the Red Bull Ring. At just 2.7 miles (4.318km), the Spielberg venue regularly produces the quickest lap times of the season, with drivers spending little more than a minute to complete a lap. In 2025, Lando Norris secured pole position with a blistering lap in the 1m03s, underlining just how little room there is for error around one of the shortest tracks in Formula 1.

While the circuit officially features 10 corners, only seven require significant braking, creating a flowing rhythm that places a premium on traction, straight-line speed and precision. The track’s compact nature means gaps are often incredibly tight, while in previous years, three consecutive DRS zones stretching from the pit straight to Turn 4 had made the Red Bull Ring one of the championship’s most overtaking-friendly venues. Drivers are rarely afforded a moment to relax, with opportunities to attack or defend emerging throughout the lap.

Some of the circuit’s most memorable moments have come on the steep uphill run to Turn 3, a heavy braking zone that has repeatedly delivered drama. Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg famously collided there on the final lap in 2016, Max Verstappen muscled past Charles Leclerc in a controversial battle for victory in 2019, and Verstappen’s clash with Lando Norris at the same corner in 2024 added another chapter to the track’s growing history of high-profile incidents. With drivers arriving three-wide on occasion and championship stakes often high, Turn 3 remained one of Formula 1’s most unpredictable corners.

The lap concludes with a pair of fast right-handers that demand commitment and reward confidence. Track limits once dominated the conversation at the final sector, leading to numerous deleted lap times and penalties, but the introduction of gravel traps on the corner exits had largely solved the issue. The change restored a more natural consequence for mistakes, ensuring drivers must balance aggression with precision as they push for every last thousandth around one of Formula 1’s most demanding qualifying circuits.

Weekend Schedule

DateSessionLocal Time
26 June 2026Free Practice 1 (FP1)1:30 pm – 2:30 pm local time
26 June 2026Free Practice 2 (FP2)4:00 pm – 5:00 pm local time
27 June 2026Free Practice 3 (FP3)12:30 pm – 1:30 pm local time
27 June 2026Qualifying4:00 pm – 5:00 pm local time
28 June 2026Race3:00 pm local time

Championship background

The battle for the Championship took on another intriguing dimension in Austria following Lewis Hamilton’s breakthrough victory for Ferrari in Spain two weeks earlier. The seven-time world champion finally delivered his first win in red and now arrived at the Red Bull Ring with genuine momentum behind his title challenge. At 41, Hamilton was chasing an unprecedented eighth world championship, and his Barcelona triumph had firmly re-established him as a contender in what was becoming one of the most compelling seasons of the modern era.

Despite a DNF in Spain, Mercedes star Kimi Antonelli remained the man to beat. The 19-year-old had been one of the revelations of the season, leading the championship by 41 points heading into Austria after a remarkable early-season campaign. However, Barcelona provided the Italian with his first significant setback of 2026 when a technical failure forced him into retirement, ending a run of consistency that had underpinned his rise to the top of the standings. How Antonelli responded to that disappointment could prove a defining storyline as the championship fight heightened.

Mercedes continued to hold a strong hand thanks to George Russell, who capitalised on his team-mate’s misfortune to finish second in Spain and reduce the gap to Antonelli to 50 points. Ferrari and Mercedes were expected to be among the frontrunners once again in Spielberg, but McLaren would be encouraged by the signs of progress shown in Barcelona. With performance appearing to trend in the right direction, both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri would be targeting a breakthrough win and a chance to inject themselves into the championship conversation.

Adding another layer of intrigue to the weekend was Red Bull’s home race. The Austrian team’s recent struggles had left it searching for answers at a circuit that has traditionally been one of its strongest venues, while speculation surrounding Max Verstappen‘s long-term future plans dominating headlines.

Race entries

Aston Martin announced that Jak Crawford would drive Lance Stroll’s car in FP1. Crawford was appointed Aston Martin’s third driver ahead of the F1 2026 season after finishing second in the 2025 F2 standings.

Ryo Hirakawa also took part in FP1 for Haas. The 2022 Le Mans 24 Hours winner, making his seventh FP1 appearance, having previously completed running for both McLaren, Alpine, and Haas.

Other changes included Luke Browning and Paul Aron gaining track time for Williams and Audi for the second consecutive weekend. This time, it was Carlos Sainz and Gabriel Bortoleto who stepped aside after Alex Albon and Nico Hulkenberg had previously.

For the rest of the weekend, the lineup of drivers and teams remained the same as the 2026 season’s entry list, featuring no reserve drivers for the race.

Tyre choices

Pirelli opted for the softest compounds in its range for the Austrian Grand Prix, bringing the C3, C4 and C5 tyres to Spielberg. While tyre wear is rarely the defining factor at the Red Bull Ring, thermal degradation remained a key challenge. The circuit’s ageing asphalt featuring high levels of both micro- and macro-roughness, generating significant heat within the tyres despite the lap’s relatively short duration.

Grip levels are typically among the highest seen all season, helped by the vast amount of rubber laid down through the circuit’s busy motorsport calendar. As a result, the track evolves rapidly throughout the weekend, with lap times continuing to improve from session to session. The circuit’s heavy traction zones place particular stress on the rear tyres as drivers repeatedly accelerate out of slow-speed corners and onto long straights, making rear tyre management a crucial factor over a race distance.

However, the front tyres are not entirely spared. The Red Bull Ring’s dramatic elevation changes — a total of 63 metres from its highest to lowest points — create unique demands under braking, especially on the downhill approaches. With the latest generation of power units delivering significant performance, drivers would need to carefully manage front tyre temperatures and brake balance to avoid locking wheels in these high-load braking zones.

2026 Austrian Grand Prix Pirelli Tyres
2026 Austrian Grand Prix Pirelli Tyres

Altitude also plays an important role in Austria. Situated more than 600 metres above sea level, the thinner air reduces aerodynamic downforce compared to many other venues on the calendar. That can increase tyre slip through both corner entry and exit, adding another layer of complexity to tyre management and race strategy.

Before the 2026 race, strategy-wise, Austria had traditionally been a two-stop race. In 2025, all three compounds were used during the Grand Prix, with most teams opting for multiple pit stops to maximise performance. However, the improved consistency and durability of 2026 tyre construction could open the door to more aggressive one-stop strategies, particularly if teams kept thermal degradation under control.

The weather would ultimately be the biggest variable going into the weekend. Late-June temperatures can rival those seen in Barcelona a week earlier, increasing thermal stress on the tyres and potentially prompting teams to make more pit stops.

FIND OUT MORE

Free Practice

Mercedes made an impressive start to the Austrian Grand Prix weekend as Kimi Antonelli topped Free Practice 1 with a 1m07.796s, edging team-mate George Russell by just 0.040s to secure a Silver Arrows one-two at the Red Bull Ring. Oscar Piastri was third for McLaren ahead of Max Verstappen, whose session was disrupted by anti-stall issues that delayed his running, while Lewis Hamilton completed the top five for Ferrari. Lando Norris also lost valuable track time due to a hydraulic problem before a late red flag, caused by Sergio Perez’s stranded Cadillac, brought the opening session to an early conclusion.

Later that day, Kimi Antonelli completed a clean sweep of Friday practice by topping FP2 with a 1m07.014s for Mercedes, finishing 0.237s ahead of Oscar Piastri and 0.325s clear of McLaren team-mate Lando Norris. Max Verstappen recovered from a disrupted session to finish fourth ahead of Lewis Hamilton, while Cadillac endured another frustrating outing as Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas both suffered reliability problems that curtailed their running. The session also featured a brief Virtual Safety Car after Perez stopped on track, with Antonelli strengthening Mercedes’ status as the team to beat heading into Saturday.

On Saturday, in FP3, George Russell topped the final practice session with a late lap of 1m07.096s to edge Mercedes team-mate and championship leader Kimi Antonelli by just 0.038s, completing a dominant clean sweep for the Silver Arrows across all three practice sessions. Lewis Hamilton was third for Ferrari ahead of McLaren pair Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, while Max Verstappen finished sixth after another disrupted session. Mercedes headed into qualifying as favourites after showing impressive pace throughout the weekend’s practice sessions.

Full Free Practice Reports

Free Practice 1 Classification

2026 Austrian Grand Prix FP1, 26 June 2026

Pos.No.DriverTeamTime / GapLaps
112Kimi AntonelliMercedes1:07.79629
263George RussellMercedes+0.040s30
381Oscar PiastriMcLaren+0.117s26
43Max VerstappenRed Bull Racing+0.281s17
544Lewis HamiltonFerrari+0.665s25
641Arvid LindbladRacing Bulls+0.930s18
71Lando NorrisMcLaren+1.077s9
843Franco ColapintoAlpine+1.166s27
938Dino BeganovicFerrari+1.258s26
1087Oliver BearmanHaas F1 Team+1.275s26
1127Nico HulkenbergAudi+1.369s30
126Isack HadjarRed Bull Racing+1.685s11
1377Valtteri BottasCadillac+1.725s21
1410Pierre GaslyAlpine+1.750s28
1590Ayumu IwasaRacing Bulls+1.841s19
1623Alexander AlbonWilliams+1.848s31
1797Paul AronAudi+1.850s20
1846Luke BrowningWilliams+2.183s29
1950Ryo HirakawaHaas F1 Team+2.697s23
2034Jak CrawfordAston Martin+3.406s22
2111Sergio PerezCadillac+3.487s14
2214Fernando AlonsoAston Martin+3.537s21

Free Practice 2 Classification

2026 Austrian Grand Prix FP2, 26 June 2026

Pos.No.DriverTeamTime / GapLaps
112Kimi AntonelliMercedes1:07.01432
281Oscar PiastriMcLaren+0.237s32
31Lando NorrisMcLaren+0.325s32
43Max VerstappenRed Bull Racing+0.550s29
544Lewis HamiltonFerrari+0.597s33
663George RussellMercedes+0.623s25
76Isack HadjarRed Bull Racing+0.744s28
816Charles LeclercFerrari+0.841s35
930Liam LawsonRacing Bulls+1.221s34
105Gabriel BortoletoAudi+1.286s30
1110Pierre GaslyAlpine+1.362s33
1241Arvid LindbladRacing Bulls+1.364s29
1387Oliver BearmanHaas F1 Team+1.518s33
1427Nico HulkenbergAudi+1.545s32
1531Esteban OconHaas F1 Team+1.816s33
1643Franco ColapintoAlpine+1.817s30
1723Alexander AlbonWilliams+1.824s34
1855Carlos SainzWilliams+2.117s30
1914Fernando AlonsoAston Martin+3.530s27
2018Lance StrollAston Martin+3.684s32
2177Valtteri BottasCadillac+4.293s6
2211Sergio PerezCadillac2

Free Practice 3 Classification

2026 Austrian Grand Prix FP3, 27 June 2026

Pos.No.DriverTeamTime / GapLaps
163George RussellMercedes1:07.09619
212Kimi AntonelliMercedes+0.038s17
344Lewis HamiltonFerrari+0.115s22
481Oscar PiastriMcLaren+0.248s17
51Lando NorrisMcLaren+0.264s20
63Max VerstappenRed Bull Racing+0.273s16
716Charles LeclercFerrari+0.356s24
86Isack HadjarRed Bull Racing+0.816s27
930Liam LawsonRacing Bulls+0.935s21
1041Arvid LindbladRacing Bulls+1.013s24
1110Pierre GaslyAlpine+1.097s16
1227Nico HulkenbergAudi+1.207s22
135Gabriel BortoletoAudi+1.215s22
1443Franco ColapintoAlpine+1.298s18
1587Oliver BearmanHaas F1 Team+1.433s19
1631Esteban OconHaas F1 Team+1.611s15
1755Carlos SainzWilliams+1.747s27
1823Alexander AlbonWilliams+1.896s25
1911Sergio PerezCadillac+2.436s29
2077Valtteri BottasCadillac+2.644s24
2114Fernando AlonsoAston Martin+3.325s21
2218Lance StrollAston Martin+3.471s19

Qualifying

George Russell claimed a dramatic pole position for the Austrian Grand Prix with a superb final lap of 1m06.113s, beating Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton after a thrilling conclusion to qualifying at the Red Bull Ring. Mercedes looked the benchmark throughout the weekend, but it was Russell who delivered when it mattered most, while championship leader Kimi Antonelli had to settle for fourth after abandoning his final lap following Max Verstappen’s crash at Turn 9.

Full Report

Verstappen’s late accident brought out double yellow flags during the decisive moments of Q3, preventing several drivers from completing their final improvements and leaving the Dutchman fifth on the grid. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri qualified sixth and seventh for McLaren, while Pierre Gasly narrowly missed out on Q3 in 11th. Williams suffered another double Q1 exit, Cadillac’s upgrade package failed to lift Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas beyond 19th and 20th, and Aston Martin locked out the back row once again.

Qualifying Classification

2026 Austrian Grand Prix Qualifying, 27 June 2026

Pos.No.DriverTeamQ1Q2Q3Laps
163George RussellMercedes1:07.3981:06.9791:06.11320
216Charles LeclercFerrari1:07.5431:07.0301:06.34915
344Lewis HamiltonFerrari1:07.2901:06.9941:06.40814
412Kimi AntonelliMercedes1:07.0831:06.7631:06.41417
53Max VerstappenRed Bull Racing1:07.4071:07.1831:06.47511
61Lando NorrisMcLaren1:07.2591:06.8971:06.50215
781Oscar PiastriMcLaren1:07.4871:06.8901:06.51114
86Isack HadjarRed Bull Racing1:07.4081:07.0861:06.63218
930Liam LawsonRacing Bulls1:07.3851:07.1361:06.95518
1041Arvid LindbladRacing Bulls1:07.5491:07.1551:07.00718
1110Pierre GaslyAlpine1:08.0381:07.22312
125Gabriel BortoletoAudi1:08.0351:07.29312
1387Oliver BearmanHaas F1 Team1:08.0611:07.52312
1427Nico HulkenbergAudi1:08.0661:07.61115
1531Esteban OconHaas F1 Team1:08.2311:07.81715
1643Franco ColapintoAlpine1:07.8941:08.17111
1755Carlos SainzWilliams1:08.2529
1823Alexander AlbonWilliams1:08.5099
1911Sergio PerezCadillac1:08.9459
2077Valtteri BottasCadillac1:09.0309
2114Fernando AlonsoAston Martin1:09.9429
2218Lance StrollAston Martin1:10.3638

What happened in the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix?

George Russell converted pole position into a crucial victory at the Austrian Grand Prix, producing a composed drive under relentless pressure from Max Verstappen to claim his seventh Formula 1 career win and breathe new life into the 2026 F1 World Championship fight.

The Mercedes driver controlled much of the race at the Red Bull Ring before withstanding a fierce late attack from Verstappen, who recovered superbly after crashing in qualifying to finish second. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli completed the podium in third after another consistent performance, with Russell’s victory lifting him back to second in the Drivers’ Championship standings.

Russell made the perfect getaway when the lights went out, comfortably holding the lead into the opening corners, while Verstappen wasted little time recovering from his disappointing fifth-place starting position. Antonelli, meanwhile, endured a scrappy opening phase, running wide on several occasions as he fought to maintain his position in the leading group.

Mercedes appeared comfortably in control through the opening stages, with Russell steadily managing his advantage at the front. Behind him, Verstappen worked his way through the field with a series of determined overtaking moves, including more than one hard-fought battle with Lewis Hamilton, before eventually securing second place and setting his sights on the race leader.

The closing stages developed into a tense three-way contest at the front. Following the final round of pit stops, Verstappen rapidly erased much of Russell’s advantage, while Antonelli also began closing on the Red Bull as the battle for victory intensified over the final laps.

Despite the mounting pressure, Russell delivered a flawless finish to keep Verstappen at bay and crossed the finish line 1.611 seconds clear of the reigning world champion, sealing an important victory that also elevates him back to second place in the championship standings.

Verstappen successfully resisted Antonelli’s late challenge to secure second by just 0.375s after an impressive recovery drive, while Antonelli’s third-place finish ensures the Mercedes youngster retains control of the championship with a 40-point advantage heading to the next round.

Oscar Piastri led McLaren’s challenge in fourth, with Lewis Hamilton taking fifth for Ferrari after spending much of the afternoon battling Verstappen. Isack Hadjar continued an impressive weekend by finishing sixth for Red Bull.

Lando Norris crossed the line seventh in the second McLaren, while Charles Leclerc endured a frustrating afternoon to finish only eighth as Ferrari failed to convert its strong qualifying performance into a podium challenge.

Racing Bulls enjoyed one of its strongest weekends of the season, with Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad securing the final points-paying positions in ninth and tenth, respectively.

Audi narrowly missed out on the points as Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg finished 11th and 12th, ahead of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly in 13th. Haas driver Ollie Bearman took 14th, followed by Alpine’s Franco Colapinto and Haas team-mate Esteban Ocon.

Alex Albon brought his Williams home in 17th, while Fernando Alonso finished 18th as one of the final classified runners. Aston Martin team-mate Lance Stroll retired with a suspected ERS failure, while Carlos Sainz’s race ended prematurely after his Williams stopped on the main straight with an apparent electrical problem.

Cadillac’s difficult weekend concluded in disappointing fashion, with both Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas retiring within the opening laps after overheating brake issues forced both drivers out of the race.

Russell’s victory capped a dominant weekend for Mercedes after topping every practice session and qualifying on pole, while Verstappen’s remarkable recovery and Antonelli’s continued consistency ensured the battle for the 2026 title remained finely poised heading into the next chapter of the season, the British Grand Prix, just seven days later.

2026 Austrian Grand Prix race results

The 2026 Austrian Grand Prix was held on Sunday, 28th June at 3:00 pm local time.

Pos.No.DriverTeamLapsTime / RetiredPts.
163George RussellMercedes7101:26:3825
23Max VerstappenRed Bull Racing71+1.611s18
312Kimi AntonelliMercedes71+1.986s15
481Oscar PiastriMcLaren71+21.809s12
544Lewis HamiltonFerrari71+26.393s10
66Isack HadjarRed Bull Racing71+29.399s8
71Lando NorrisMcLaren71+31.505s6
816Charles LeclercFerrari71+45.659s4
930Liam LawsonRacing Bulls70+1 lap2
1041Arvid LindbladRacing Bulls70+1 lap1
115Gabriel BortoletoAudi70+1 lap0
1227Nico HulkenbergAudi70+1 lap0
1310Pierre GaslyAlpine70+1 lap0
1487Oliver BearmanHaas F1 Team70+1 lap0
1543Franco ColapintoAlpine70+1 lap0
1631Esteban OconHaas F1 Team69+2 laps0
1723Alexander AlbonWilliams69+2 laps0
1814Fernando AlonsoAston Martin68+3 laps0
NC18Lance StrollAston Martin45DNF0
NC55Carlos SainzWilliams23DNF0
NC11Sergio PerezCadillac4DNF0
NC77Valtteri BottasCadillac2DNF0

2026 Austrian Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.No.DriverTeamLapTime of DayTimeAvg. Speed
112Kimi AntonelliMercedes5916:15:491:10.374221.297
23Max VerstappenRed Bull Racing5716:13:231:10.483220.955
381Oscar PiastriMcLaren4515:59:051:10.595220.604
416Charles LeclercFerrari6716:25:581:10.606220.570
51Lando NorrisMcLaren5516:11:211:10.652220.426
663George RussellMercedes4916:03:341:10.683220.330
744Lewis HamiltonFerrari4515:59:071:10.946219.513
86Isack HadjarRed Bull Racing4215:55:351:10.947219.510
910Pierre GaslyAlpine5516:11:171:11.466217.916
1030Liam LawsonRacing Bulls5516:12:031:11.547217.669
1141Arvid LindbladRacing Bulls5716:13:181:11.587217.547
1227Nico HulkenbergAudi5616:12:231:11.634217.405
1343Franco ColapintoAlpine5016:05:241:11.795216.917
145Gabriel BortoletoAudi6016:17:021:11.866216.703
1587Oliver BearmanHaas F1 Team5516:11:281:12.207215.679
1614Fernando AlonsoAston Martin5416:10:171:12.501214.805
1731Esteban OconHaas F1 Team3815:50:361:12.979213.398
1823Alexander AlbonWilliams4415:58:051:13.137212.937
1955Carlos SainzWilliams2215:31:041:13.694211.327
2018Lance StrollAston Martin3115:42:111:13.796211.035
2111Sergio PerezCadillac315:07:101:14.448209.187

2026 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings

Championship standings for Drivers’ and Teams after the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix.

2026 Post-Race F1 Drivers’ Championship Standings

OSDriverNationalityCarPTS
1Kimi AntonelliITAMercedes171
2George RussellGBRMercedes131
3Lewis HamiltonGBRFerrari125
4Oscar PiastriAUSMcLaren80
5Lando NorrisGBRMcLaren79
6Charles LeclercMONFerrari79
7Max VerstappenNEDRed Bull Racing73
8Isack HadjarFRARed Bull Racing42
9Pierre GaslyFRAAlpine41
10Liam LawsonNZLRacing Bulls30
11Oliver BearmanGBRHaas F1 Team18
12Franco ColapintoARGAlpine16
13Arvid LindbladGBRRacing Bulls14
14Carlos SainzESPWilliams6
15Alexander AlbonTHAWilliams5
16Esteban OconFRAHaas F1 Team3
17Gabriel BortoletoBRAAudi2
18Fernando AlonsoESPAston Martin1
19Nico HulkenbergGERAudi0
20Valtteri BottasFINCadillac0
21Sergio PerezMEXCadillac0
22Lance StrollCANAston Martin0

2026 Post-Race F1 Constructors’ Championship Standings

POSCarPTS
1Mercedes302
2Ferrari204
3McLaren159
4Red Bull Racing115
5Alpine57
6Racing Bulls44
7Haas F1 Team21
8Williams11
9Audi2
10Aston Martin1
11Cadillac0

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Lee Parker

Staff Writer

Lee Parker

Lee is our staff writer specialising in anything technical within Formula 1 from aerodynamics to engines. Lee writes most of our F1 guides for beginners and experienced fans as well as our F1 on this day posts having followed the sport since 1991, researching and understanding how teams build the ultimate machines. Like everyone else on the team he listens to podcasts about F1 and enjoys reading biographies of former drivers.