Russell ends long wait with 'cold-blooded' win

George Russell returned to the top ‌of the Formula One podium in Austria on Sunday with what Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff called a "cold-blooded" performance after a tough couple of months for the Briton.

Russell questioned that choice of words, preferring to see his seventh career win as "calm and ​controlled" while recognising he was relieved to win again for the first time since the season-opener ​in Australia in March.

After Melbourne, Russell's 19-year-old Italian teammate Kimi Antonelli went on a ⁠run of five wins in a row and remains 40 points clear at the top of the standings ​after eight of a likely 22 rounds.

"It’s been a tough couple of months with some really tricky ​races, with races that felt like everything was going against me, then some races with some tough performances," said Russell, who started the year as title favourite, of a race that saw Antonelli finish third.

"Obviously, I’ve got a really incredible ​team-mate next to me who week in, week out, is delivering some pretty spectacular performances. So, for ​me, going into Canada, going into Barcelona from quite a low point, I needed a lot of resilience to ‌be able ⁠to get back and deliver some strong performances.

"To get the last two poles, to get the win here this weekend, especially on a track which I don’t think is so suited to me, I’m really, really proud."

TYRE CHALLENGE

Russell said that he had never doubted his ability but getting the tyres working properly, and getting ​on top of the ​overall package, had been ⁠a challenge.

Wolff said that Russell had done everything right, with perfect execution from third practice on Saturday after Antonelli had dominated the first two sessions on Friday.

"He ​was quick, managed the tyres well, cold-blooded," added the Austrian. "Really happy for him.

"He ​knows that ⁠he can drive fast and sometimes you just have to put one and one together. Maybe ease off on yourself a little bit. Just drive...the thinking part, leave it to the people in the garage."

Wolff said that the ⁠same ​principle applied when it came to holding off Red Bull's runner-up ​Max Verstappen in the race: "Not thinking too much about strategy, not thinking too much what's the gap behind. Just go and ​extract the maximum out of the car. That's what he did."