George Russell praised Lewis Hamilton’s resurgence (Image: Getty)
The Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix will throw up another exciting potential showdown at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg this Sunday, with at least four teams capable of challenging for victory. While Kimi Antonelli leads the Drivers’ standings by 41 points, the Italian’s retirement at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix handed Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari a huge opportunity to close the gap by 25 points, clinching his first win for the Scuderia.
The 41-year-old has improved his form from his disappointing maiden campaign with the Italian manufacturer, where he failed to secure a single podium finish. But 2026 has presented an opportunity to make that a distant memory, with four finishes inside the top three already from the Briton. While Mercedes and Ferrari are threatening to make it a two-way fight for both titles with George Russell close behind, reigning champion Lando Norris is keeping apace with the leading pack on 73 points, as is McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri on 68 and Max Verstappen on 55.
With round eight coming up, the home of Red Bull could throw up some surprises at the front. Express Sport rounds up the latest news and headlines ahead of the race in Austria on Sunday.
Russell wary of Hamilton threat
George Russell has warned Mercedes face a genuine threat from Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari for the 2026 Formula 1 drivers’ and constructors’ championships. Russell, who has experienced a frustrating campaign and lies in third place, said: “It’s great to see Lewis back doing what he does best.
“People were writing him off last year or even the year we were team-mates in ’24. You know, ‘Is he too old? Is he this? Is he that?’ And then he goes and he’s been smashing it for the last four or five races.
“It just shows that you don’t forget how to drive overnight. You need yourself, your team, the set-up, the understanding of the tyres, everything just to click. And when it clicks, you fly.
Lewis Hamilton is second in the F1 Drivers’ Championship (Image: Getty)
“That’s where he is at the moment and for sure he is a big threat. Ferrari are a huge threat. Kimi is still very much the driver out front and is performing really incredibly and consistently. But Ferrari feel like they’re coming and Lewis is at the forefront of that.”
Hamilton, who took his first win for Ferrari in the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix a fortnight ago, refused to rule out a strong challenge heading into the second half of the season: “I don’t think it’s impossible,” he said.
The seven-time champion is 41 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes after his win in Spain, which confirmed he had recovered from a difficult first season with Ferrari.
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Leclerc replaced by Ferrari
Hamilton will have a different rival in the opposite Ferrari garage this weekend as Charles Leclerc is set to be replaced by the Scuderia. While the seven-time world champion has been in fine form, Leclerc has struggled to match his pace in recent races and even conceded he has adopted Hamilton’s car setup in a bid to catch up.
Leclerc, 27, could arguably do with more time in practice to adjust to his new settings. However, the team have decided to hand an opportunity to Dino Beganovic to drive in FP1 instead – meaning Leclerc will have 60 minutes fewer in the car than his team-mate.
Beganovic, who has been part of Ferrari’s driver academy since 2020, is getting a rare run-out in the SF-26.The young Swedish driver has been involved in development work this season and was drafted in at Barcelona two weeks ago, taking Hamilton’s place in FP1.
Charles Leclerc was replaced for FP1 by Ferrari (Image: Getty)
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If there is a silver lining for the Monegasque, it’s that Hamilton was seemingly unaffected by the change and went on to win the race – something Leclerc hasn’t managed since the 2024 season. Leclerc will be back in the cockpit for FP2 so that he can familiarise himself with the car and get up to speed as quick as possible.
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur is confident of a good display from his team, saying: “We arrive in Austria encouraged by our positive showing over the past few races. We are fully aware that there is still a lot of work to do and that we must continue to focus on ourselves.
“We will approach this weekend with the same method and mindset that we have adopted since the start of the season. [We are] aiming to put together clean sessions in every respect, from track execution to the strategic decisions taken on the pit wall.
“We know that every weekend has a different story to tell, which is why we will continue to take the championship one race at a time.”