Austrian Grand Prix: Harry Benjamin’s driver rating as George Russell wins for Mercedes

George Russell took his second win of the season and second career win at the Red Bull Ring as he won the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday.

Russell’s win meant he closed the gap on teammate and championship leader Kimi Antonelli to 40 points.

It was the second win of 2026 for the British driver who had previously won the season-opening race in Australia before Antonelli won five races in a row to take control of the championship.

Lewis Hamilton, who won the race in Barcelona two weeks ago, had a disappointing display in his Ferrari, relegating it to fifth despite the team bringing an upgraded car to Austria.

Here are my ratings for how the drivers performed throughout the weekend at Spielberg.

George Russell – 9/10

Despite losing his drinks system in the sweltering heat, Meru converted to a superbly controlled victory. No hydration breaks required. Absorbed pressure from a charging Max Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli and was a timely reminder of his race-winning quality.

Max Verstappen – 8.5/10

Bounced brilliantly from his qualifying crash to finish second. Aggressive, fast and within striking distance. Great fight with Lewis Hamilton too.

Kimi Antonelli – 7.5/10

Returned from his retirement in Barcelona with a podium to maintain his healthy gap at the top of the championship. A slightly untimely VSC stop cost him a chance to challenge for the win.

Oscar Piastri – 7/10

For the fourth rescue on a quiet but efficient afternoon. There was no pace to join the fray at the front but McLaren maximized the package.

Lewis Hamilton – 6.5/10

Looked quick in qualifying but Ferrari lacked race pace compared to Mercedes and Red Bull. More seemed possible except for the eccentric use of soft tires but in the end Ferrari felt they had no choice.

Isaac Hazor – 6/10

A good drive to sixth place after a poor qualifying session. The pace was not bad but it was a disappointing weekend according to his standards, added to the fact that his teammate was on the podium.

Lando Norris – 6.5/10

Ground lost in the beginning and never fully recovered. A disappointing weekend after showing excellent race pace on Friday.

Charles Leclerc – 5/10

Although he started in the front row, he got as high as he got. He fell back as his running speed faded. A disappointing return from such a brilliant grid position.

Liam Lawson – 7/10

Another essay drives in point. Everything available has been extracted from Racing Bulls machinery.

Arvid Lindblad – 6.5/10

Another great rookie display to score another top-10 finish. Sarah looked confident all weekend but will now look to get the upper hand on her more experienced team-mate.