Ferrari title dream over as Max Verstappen 'little pain' assessed – International media reacts

The 2026 Austrian Grand Prix was a scorching affair, with the hottest temperatures of the season so far roasting the Red Bull Ring.

George Russell secured just his second victory of the season to reduce Kimi Antonelli's title lead to 40 points, with Max Verstappen finishing second in a Mercedes sandwich.

Ferrari, despite qualifying second and third, was a major disappointment after its recent strong run and was largely on a par with McLaren.

Below, you can read how media from around the world reacted to the eighth round of the F1 season, the Austrian Grand Prix.

🇬🇧 The Telegraph - 'Russell elbows his way into title race with Austrian Grand Prix win'

Starting our trip around the world in the United Kingdom, The Telegraph has backed Russell to be firmly in the title fight after winning in Austria.

Russell was not the quickest driver at the Red Bull Ring, but he delivered when it mattered most in both qualifying and the race.

His knowledge of the rules handed him a key advantage in securing pole, whereas Antonelli faltered after backing out of his lap upon encountering a single-waved yellow flag.

In the race, Russell could easily have succumbed to pressure from Verstappen and Antonelli, but he crossed the line to secure a crucial victory.

🇪🇸 Marca - 'Hamilton's major concern at Ferrari: "The gap with Mercedes is very big"'

In Spain, Marca has focused on Lewis Hamilton's concern that Ferrari is too far adrift of Mercedes to genuinely fight for the championship.

After a strong recent run, Ferrari looked set to continue its momentum after qualifying second and third. However, both Hamilton and Charles Leclerc suffered from tyre degradation and a general lack of pace.

As a result, Hamilton fell to fifth and Leclerc to eighth on a weekend when Ferrari introduced an upgraded internal combustion engine.

Hamilton acknowledged after the race that the gap to Mercedes remains significant, urging the Scuderia to keep working relentlessly.

🇮🇹 La Gazzetta dello Sport - 'Hamilton chases, Leclerc seems lost: is the Ferrari dream already over?'

In Italy, La Gazzetta dello Sport has, unsurprisingly, focused on Ferrari's shocking Sunday and whether the team's dream of winning the title this season is already over.

The numerous straights and emphasis on top speed at the Red Bull Ring hurt Ferrari, with Hamilton already raising concerns over this weekend's British Grand Prix.

Ferrari's SF-26 is clearly the strongest car in the corners, but it is losing significant lap time at the end of the straights.

Hamilton was, overall, once again the stronger driver in red, while Leclerc simply tumbled backwards at a rate of knots and was left searching for answers.

🇳🇱 De Telegraaf - 'Max Verstappen felt little pain in his knees the day after the crash and enjoyed his first laps'

In the Netherlands, De Telegraaf focused on Verstappen's comeback in the Austrian Grand Prix after crashing in qualifying.

The four-time world champion was a serious contender for pole position before crashing at the penultimate corner on his final lap following an issue with his rear wing.

Starting fifth, Verstappen recovered to finish second and challenged Russell for the win, although it was to no avail.

Thankfully, Verstappen escaped his crash relatively unscathed, suffering only minor pain in his knees after they banged together on impact with the tyre barrier.

🇦🇺 New Zealand Herald - 'Liam Lawson banks fourth-straight points finish, takes ninth in Austrian Grand Prix'

And finally, in New Zealand, the New Zealand Herald focused on its home boy, Liam Lawson. It was yet another strong display from the Racing Bulls driver.

Lawson secured his fourth consecutive points finish of 2026 in what was a solid weekend from start to finish.

The New Zealander is showing impressive consistency and finished directly ahead of team-mate Arvid Lindblad in another performance that suggests he deserves a seat in Formula 1.