Motorsports
Russell Runs Home
Silverstone, United Kingdom (AFP) George Russell heads into the British Grand Prix chasing a home victory that could sharpen his title challenge after a timely return to form in Austria.
The 28-year-old Mercedes driver cut into the gap to team-mate Kimi Antonelli with victory at the Red Bull Ring last Sunday, his second win of the season after back-to-back pole positions.
Russell remains 40 points behind the 19-year-old Italian after eight rounds of the 22-race championship, but his Austria win ended a difficult run and restored the momentum that made him a pre-season title favorite.
Antonelli still leads the Mercedes charge after winning five straight races earlier in the season, but Russell’s latest result has reopened the intra-team contest before one of the biggest weekends on the calendar.
Mercedes enters Silverstone in strong shape after winning nine of the last 13 British races and seven grands prix this season. The Brackley-based team is expected to be well suited to Silverstone’s high-speed layout, where its car and power unit package have been among the strongest on the grid.
Russell said he would welcome a wider fight involving more teams and drivers as the hybrid era continues to deliver unpredictable racing.
“I’d love a big fight,” said Russell.
“To be honest, you want the best drivers with the best teams all fighting and, of course, Max is very much one of the best – with Lewis, Charles, Lando, Oscar…
“The more the merrier. It feels like when we all raced in go-karting… That’s how it should be.”
A win for Russell would extend a recent run of British success at Silverstone after Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris won in 2024 and 2025. Russell, Hamilton and Norris also delivered the first all-British podium since 1968 when they finished first, second and third in Catalunya.
“I’m so looking forward to it,” said Russell. “It’s the atmosphere, the fans. I’m sure it’s going to be great.”
Mercedes, however, is unlikely to have a clear path. Defending champion Norris of McLaren, Ferrari’s seven-time world champion Hamilton and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen are all former Silverstone winners.
Hamilton, who won his first Ferrari race and the 106th victory of his career in Spain three weeks ago, is chasing a record-extending 10th British Grand Prix win. But he admitted Ferrari still has work to do after its power disadvantage showed in Austria.
“There’s no magic fix in racing,” he said. “It’s a lot of small steps.”
Verstappen, who finished a close second in Austria with Red Bull’s revised car, played down his chances at Silverstone, saying the circuit’s high-speed demands leave little room for energy recovery.
“You barely have any battery around the lap – it’s just constantly flat out,” he said.
The British Grand Prix will be the fourth sprint weekend of the season.
George Russell secured pole position for the Dutch Grand Prix sprint race after edging world champion Lando Norris in qualifying at Zandvoort.
The Mercedes driver produced a fastest lap of one minute and 11.567 seconds as Formula One returned from its month-long summer break.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc qualified third, followed by Oscar Piastri in the second McLaren. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli managed only fifth after topping the weekend’s sole practice session.
“The lap felt really good, to be honest. It all came together nicely,” Russell said.
“I’m really happy to come back. It’s been a little while since I’ve done one of these interviews.”
Russell won the opening Grand Prix of the season but has since struggled to match the pace of Antonelli, who dominated the first half of the campaign.
The Italian teenager has won six of the first 11 races, including five in succession. He enters the second half of the season with a 50-point lead over Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton.
Antonelli appeared less comfortable once sprint qualifying began. He struggled for grip and spun during the opening session before recovering enough to claim a place on the third row.
Home favorite Max Verstappen qualified sixth for Red Bull as thousands of orange-clad supporters filled the grandstands around the seaside circuit.
The session followed early morning rain, although the track had dried by the time the drivers began their qualifying runs.
The close margins suggest Mercedes, McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull could all contend during the weekend. Mercedes controlled much of the first half of the season, but the team has admitted that its development program is currently “out of sync” with improvements introduced by its rivals.
McLaren arrived with momentum after Norris claimed his first victory of the season at the Hungarian Grand Prix. The team also has a strong recent record at Zandvoort, where Norris won in 2024 before Piastri followed with victory in 2025.
Ferrari also showed competitive pace, while Verstappen will seek to give his home supporters a final victory at the circuit. The Dutch Grand Prix will leave the Formula One calendar after this year following the organizers’ decision to end the event.
“Thanks to the fans. You guys always give us a great race, and it’s a very unique circuit,” Russell told the Zandvoort crowd.
Kimi Antonelli will head to the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort with a 50-point lead over Lewis Hamilton in the Formula One drivers’ championship.
The Mercedes driver sits at the top with 219 points, followed by Hamilton with 169 and George Russell with 160. Charles Leclerc is fourth with 138 points, while Lando Norris completes the top five with 128.
Max Verstappen returns to his home race in sixth place with 109 points. Oscar Piastri follows with 92, ahead of Isack Hadjar with 68, Liam Lawson with 43 and Pierre Gasly with 42.
Mercedes also leads the constructors’ championship with 379 points. Ferrari is second with 307, while McLaren holds third with 220.
Red Bull has 177 points, followed by Racing Bulls with 66 and Alpine with 61. Haas, Audi, Williams, Aston Martin and Cadillac complete the standings.
Carlos Sainz has signed a multi-year contract extension with Williams, ending speculation over his Formula One future despite a difficult season with the British team.
The announcement came a day after Williams confirmed that Alex Albon would stay for the 2027 campaign. The two drivers will continue to lead the team as it works to regain its competitive form.
Sainz joined Williams after previous stints with Ferrari, McLaren, Renault and Toro Rosso. The four-time Grand Prix winner has failed to score in the past six rounds, while the team has struggled throughout the opening half of the season.
Williams also missed the first pre-season test, which left the squad playing catch-up before the campaign began.
Despite those setbacks, Sainz said he believes the team has the people and resources needed to recover.
“I’m thrilled to announce my continued journey with the Williams family,” the 31-year-old said.
“I truly believe in the people that form this team, both at the factory and at the racetracks, and the investments and hard work that are happening in the background.”
Sainz added that he was as committed as he was on his first day with Williams and wanted to help return the team to the front of the grid.
Team principal James Vowles welcomed the decision ahead of this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix.
“Carlos is a leader of this team, and I’m thrilled that he can see what’s possible as we continue to rebuild it,” Vowles said.
He added that Sainz shares Williams’ ambitions and described the Spaniard and Albon as one of the strongest driver pairings on the grid.
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