Lewis Hamilton and George Russell launch mind-games as Austrian GP comments say it all

Mind-games began in Austria on Thursday as British Formula 1 title hopes Lewis Hamilton and George Russell spent the day talking up each others' championship chances. Hamilton's win in Barcelona last time out put him nine points clear of Russell and 41 behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli.

It was the first time all year Mercedes have failed to win a Grand Prix but Russell insists the heat is on for the Silver Arrows in scorching Spielberg this weekend, where the FIA has declared a heat hazard. "For sure, [Hamilton] is a big threat, Ferrari are a huge threat," he said of his former team-mate. "Kimi is still very much the driver out front and is performing really incredibly and consistently, but Ferrari feel like they're coming and Lewis is at the forefront of that."

Hamilton said after the Barcelona race that he had given no thought to the prospect of winning an eighth title this year. And his stance had not changed by yesterday when he declared: "There's a long way to go. We're not arriving at this weekend thinking about the championship. We're thinking about this weekend, executing the best we can.

"My head has been back down, the sacrifices required to make sure I arrive 100 percent so I can deliver - especially knowing how far my performance reaches. I am thinking about each race, arriving and executing as we did at the last race, with pit-stops, with strategy, we were all in sync, and having that all in one weekend is the most important thing, and not about what is going to happen in 15 races' time."

Indeed, it may be a crucial weekend for Ferrari's hopes of reeling in Mercedes. They feel their car is every bit as good, and perhaps even better, than the Silver Arrow, except for on the engine front where they largely haven't been able to compete. But that may change this weekend with Ferrari bringing their first of the two power unit updates they are allowed this year.

Hamilton played down the impact it will have but did admit he is glad for what he and Ferrari hope will be a performance boost. He said: "This weekend we do have a new engine. It's a step, it's not the whole gap, but it's a step, it's one foot forwards, which I'm really proud and thankful for.

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"Still, Mercedes are the team to beat, they've won everything else and they've been just incredible this year. They've got a great car. It's an amazing team, a world championship team. We have a real battle on our hands and it's going to take absolutely everyone full hands-on deck for the rest of the year to even come close to competing with them, but I don't think it's impossible."