SPIELBERG, June 29 -- The moment Max Verstappen was beaten at the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday, he did not know it yet. He was one second behind George Russell with 31 laps to run, the gap was shrinking, and the Red Bull had tyres that could theoretically carry him to the end. Then Mercedes pulled Russell into the pits.

Six laps later, when Verstappen finally stopped for his own second set of fresh rubber, he emerged 11 seconds back. The race was over. The rest was procedure.

Russell took the chequered flag 1.6 seconds clear of Verstappen, with teammate Kimi Antonelli claiming third to give Mercedes a 1-3 finish that Toto Wolff, with characteristic restraint, described as evidence of a "cold-blooded" driver doing what cold-blooded driv...