George Russell delivered a perfect pole and victory In Austria but was Kimi Antonelli quicker?

Russell converted a superb pole position into victory at the Red Bull Ring, cutting into teammate Kimi Antonelli's championship advantage and reminding the paddock that he remains firmly in the title fight. Yet Herbert believes the statistics alone do not tell the full story.

Speaking to Vision4Sport, Formula 1 Hospitality Package specialists, former Grand Prix winner, Herbert suggests that Antonelli may actually have have been quickest driver at Red Bull Ring, despite a weekend littered with small mistakes.

Herbert said: "George Russell made a statement in Austria. The pole lap was outstanding. It was brilliant. The race itself was good, he controlled it well, and he did what he needed to do. So, he's got the maximum points that he needs. And in doing so he probably reminded himself of his own ability."

However, Herbert added: "My only concern for George is that Kimi Antonelli’s race pace was potentially faster. Antonelli had a bit of a difficult weekend, he was a bit nervous going into qualifying, he made a few mistakes, didn't prepare the brakes as they should have been. He did a few track limit issues as well in qualifying itself."

The contrast summed up Austria perfectly. Russell extracted everything from the weekend, while Antonelli's raw speed was undermined by errors and missed opportunities. The Italian's remarkable five-race winning streak came to an end, allowing his experienced teammate to close the gap.

Herbert believes fortune also played its part, but praised Russell for making the most of every opportunity. He explained: "Racing does sometimes go for you, sometimes it goes against you, it went against Kimi in some respects but then George did the job he needed."

The Austrian Grand Prix also represented a personal breakthrough for Russell at a circuit where he has traditionally struggled. Herbert pointed to the Briton's willingness to rethink his driving: "He has said that he changed his mental approach going into the weekend.

"He changed a few things to make it work for him rather than just driving it and doing his normal way. He tinkered with his preparation which seemed to benefit him," ventured the three time Grand Prix winner.

With Silverstone now next on the calendar, Herbert expects Russell to thrive: "I hope he can take that experience and then go to Silverstone, his home Grand Prix on a bit of a roll after his second Grand Prix win of the season. He’ll find himself in a stronger mental situation with a home Grand Prix coming his way and that support mechanism that will be there from the fans around the stadium that will benefit him."

Even so, Herbert warned Russell cannot ignore the threat posed by the precocious 19-year-old alongside him: "But, of course, he's still got to be very worried of what Kimi can still do," he said.

The psychological battle inside Mercedes may now become just as significant as the outright pace. Herbert believes Russell's experience allows him to thrive as the pressure increases, while Antonelli is still learning how to cope with championship expectations.

Herbert said: "Closing the points gap will have been good for Russell mentally. It's probably a little bit negative for Antonelli. The other positive for George as well is when the pressure is starting to mount, that is where he's able to capitalise on it. Conversely, Kimi, through his inexperience, is making those mistakes that are benefitting George."

Herbert expects Russell to seize the initiative at Silverstone and place even greater pressure on his teammate: "Austria was the start of that. Silverstone would be the perfect place to really throw it onto Kimi's shoulders and say, 'I'm not done and I'm coming after you.' He made clear to Kimi who will now be very aware, if he wasn’t already, that he hasn't given up."

Despite Antonelli still leading the standings, Herbert insists the championship remains far from decided: "The world title race is still wide open. Antonelli had a blistering five-win run. But you can't write George off. Maybe you can't write Lewis off either."

Herbert believes Mercedes currently holds the consistency advantage over Ferrari, whose form continues to fluctuate from race to race. He also highlighted Russell's ability to beat both Antonelli and Max Verstappen in Austria as another significant psychological boost before Formula 1 heads to Silverstone.

If Russell can repeat that performance on home soil, the momentum in the Mercedes garage could shift even further in his favour. For now, Russell's harsh reality is that 19--year-old Antonelli leads the 2026 F1 Drivers' standings by 40 points.