George Russell believes Mercedes is now in a position to "pick up the pieces" after "dreaming" Max Verstappen and Lando Norris would collide in the Austrian Grand Prix.
On Lap 64, leader Verstappen and the chasing Norris collided at Turn 3, giving both punctures as third-placed Russell inherited the lead, going onto claim a second grand prix victory.
It is both his and Mercedes' first since the 2022 Sao Paulo Grand Prix as the Briton described how he was watching the battle unfold and why Mercedes was in the right place at the right time.
"Incredible. It was a tough fight out there at the beginning of the race just to hold onto P3," he explained.
"I saw on the TV that Max and Lando was getting close and that Lando would go for the race win.
"But the team did an amazing job to be there to pick up the pieces and that is where we were.
"I couldn't believe how close we were to Lando and Max, it was only about 12-13 seconds and I knew there was the possibility and you are always dreaming."
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Riding a wave
The win follows a run of strong performances by Russell, with the win following pole and a win in Canada as Mercedes continues to make steps forward.
He still feels Red Bull and McLaren are ahead, but says the Brackley team are "riding a wave."
"It is no secret that Red Bull with Max and McLaren with Lando are still a little bit out in front, but we're putting ourselves in that position in case anything happens up front we are there to pick it up," he said.
"We are proud to be back on the top step, the team have worked so hard, we've made so many strides since the start of the season so there is more to come.
"We are riding a bit of a wave at the moment, the last three races have been incredible. Realistically, we could have won the race in Canada, so this makes up for that."
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