Kimi Antonelli strengthened his grip on the Formula 1 world championship with a composed victory at the Belgian Grand Prix, overcoming a virtual safety car setback to secure his sixth win of the 2026 season.
The Mercedes driver produced another mature display at Spa-Francorchamps, recovering after Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc briefly inherited the lead through strategy before reclaiming first place with a decisive overtake.
The victory allowed Antonelli to rebuild his championship advantage after three difficult races and move 50 points clear of Mercedes teammate George Russell.
Antonelli’s triumph contrasted sharply with Russell’s afternoon, which lasted only a single lap after a collision with Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton forced the British driver into retirement.
Starting from pole position, Antonelli controlled the early stages despite pressure from Max Verstappen. The young Italian cleverly allowed the Red Bull driver through at Eau Rouge before immediately using the slipstream to retake the lead along the Kemmel Straight, demonstrating both confidence and race awareness.
Drama unfolded behind the leaders as Russell attempted to pass Hamilton around the outside at Les Combes. Hamilton’s Ferrari twitched after disturbed airflow from the battle ahead, making contact with Russell’s Mercedes and sending it spinning into the gravel.
The incident ended Russell’s race instantly, dealing another significant blow to his title ambitions. Despite the disappointment, Russell refused to blame Hamilton afterward.
“I thought it was probably a racing incident,” Russell said. “I’m not going to blame Lewis. It’s one thing after another this season, but we’ll reset and come back stronger.”
Antonelli appeared comfortably in control until a virtual safety car changed the complexion of the race. Ferrari took advantage by pitting Leclerc under reduced-speed conditions, allowing the Monegasque driver to emerge ahead after the Mercedes had already completed its stop under green-flag conditions.
Leclerc briefly looked on course for back-to-back victories after his Silverstone success, but Antonelli’s superior pace soon became evident. The Mercedes driver steadily erased the gap before sweeping past the Ferrari on lap 34 with a clean move along the Kemmel Straight.
Although Leclerc stayed within two seconds for the closing laps and Antonelli flirted with a potential track-limits penalty, the championship leader remained calm to take the chequered flag and secure another vital victory.
Verstappen completed the podium in third despite struggling with tyre grip during the second half of the race.
Hamilton recovered impressively from a five-second penalty for causing the collision with Russell and a problematic pit stop, where he made slight contact with a Ferrari mechanic after an unsafe release. The seven-time world champion still managed to climb to fourth after overtaking Oscar Piastri late in the race.
Hamilton’s result lifted him back into second place in the drivers’ standings, five points ahead of Russell.
McLaren’s Lando Norris endured a frustrating afternoon after starting 13th because of a grid penalty. A virtual safety car disrupted his alternative strategy before a slow pit stop ended any realistic hopes of fighting for the podium.
Norris eventually finished seventh behind Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar, while Gabriel Bortoleto, Arvid Lindblad and Franco Colapinto completed the top 10.
The Formula 1 season continues next weekend with the Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring, the final race before the sport’s four-week summer break. Antonelli will arrive in Budapest with renewed momentum as he looks to tighten his hold on the championship.
