FACTS AND STATS: Russell puts Mercedes back on top for first time in 33 races

Yes, they benefitted from drama ahead, but you have to be there to benefit and that’s exactly what George Russell and Mercedes did in Austria. Their return to the top step came as Max Verstappen failed to make the podium at Red Bull’s home Grand Prix for the first time since 2020. Want more numbers? Here’s our post-race round-up.

• Russell’s 1.906s winning margin over Oscar Piastri was the second closest of the season (Verstappen won at Imola by 0.725s).

• It was Russell’s second career win.

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• Mercedes had been without a win since Russell won the 2022 Sao Paulo Grand Prix, 33 races ago.

• Today was Russell’s first career podium finish at the Red Bull Ring.

• Mercedes are the fourth different constructor to win this year.

• Piastri has finished second on two previous occasions (Qatar 2023 and Monaco 2024).

• Carlos Sainz took P3 for Ferrari. Prior to today he had made more appearances at the Red Bull Ring than at any other circuit without ever finishing on the podium (11 previous starts).

• Lewis Hamilton’s P4 for Mercedes was his third consecutive top-four finish after no top-four finishes in the first eight Grands Prix this year.

• Max Verstappen’s P5 result ended a run of five consecutive podium finishes at the Red Bull Ring.

• Verstappen led 62 out of 71 laps in this race.

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• Nico Hulkenberg’s P6 for Haas was his best result since the 2019 Italian Grand Prix.

• It was also Haas' best result in a Grand Prix since Mick Schumacher finished sixth at the same track in 2022.

• And with Kevin Magnussen in P8, it was Haas' best two-car result since Austria 2022 (Schumacher P6, Magnussen P8).

• Hulkenberg also finished P6 in last year's Austria Sprint.

• In P7 for Red Bull, Sergio Perez had his sixth consecutive race without a podium finish.

• Daniel Ricciardo took P9 for RB to score points for the second time in three Grands Prix (he finished eighth in Canada).

• Prior to Lando Norris’s DNF today, McLaren were the only team to have not suffered a retirement in 2024.

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• Pierre Gasly finished P10 for Alpine for his fourth consecutive points finish – his best streak since early in the 2021 season.

• Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc took the flag in P11 and hence failed to score for the second time in the last three Grands Prix.

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