Kimi Antonelli made another statement at Spa-Francorchamps, holding off Charles Leclerc to win the Belgian Grand Prix and stretch his championship lead even further.
The Mercedes driver started from pole and seemed comfortable early on, while Max Verstappen briefly led at Eau Rouge on the first lap before falling behind.
YES, KIMI! 💪
ANTONELLI WINS THE BELGIAN GRAND PRIX! 🏆🎉#F1 #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/ccrSiAYfn2
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 19, 2026
Antonelli got the lead back and kept firing on, holding off a late charge from Leclerc after a Safety Car restart to take the chequered flag by less than two seconds.
Verstappen rounded up the podium in third.
But the story of the day was the opposite side of the Mercedes box.
George Russell’s race was over almost immediately, making contact with Lewis Hamilton on the first lap and spinning into the gravel on the spot to retire, per Formula 1
It was a hammer blow for the title hopeful and Hamilton was awarded a five-second penalty later for his role in the incident.
Still, he finished fourth place ahead of Oscar Piastri and a remarkable drive from Isack Hadjar, who fought through from the back of the grid.
Russell did not disguise his irritation afterwards claiming he felt numb to disappointment following yet another race ruined by circumstances beyond his control.
Further back, the Williams combination of Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz came home in 15th and 16th ahead of Esteban Ocon, Valtteri Bottas and Fernando Alonso.
It wasn’t a great weekend for everyone with Lance Stroll and Sergio Perez both retiring with car troubles, adding to Russell’s retirement count.
This means Antonelli now has a much greater lead at the top of the standings and Russell will be desperate to reset himself ahead of the next round.
For Ferrari, Leclerc’s near-miss keeps them firmly in the hunt, while Mercedes seems more dominant as we move into the second half of the season.
