Kimi Antonelli produced a commanding drive to win the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, his sixth victory of the 2026 Formula 1 season, as Mercedes team-mate George Russell retired on the opening lap following a collision with Lewis Hamilton.
The 19-year-old Italian fended off a spirited challenge from Ferrari's Charles Leclerc to win by 1.9 seconds, with Max Verstappen completing the podium for Red Bull. The result sees Antonelli stretch his championship lead to 179 points, 45 clear of Hamilton — who moves up to second in the standings — and 50 ahead of a frustrated Russell.
The defining moment arrived at Les Combes on the opening lap when Russell, slowed by a deployment issue that left him vulnerable on the Kemmel Straight, was hit by Hamilton's Ferrari as the seven-time champion turned into the corner. Replays showed Hamilton experiencing a snap of oversteer mid-corner, sending his left-front wheel into the right-hand side of Russell's Mercedes and spinning the Briton into the gravel trap.
Russell described his car as "slower than an F2 car" on the straight, and initially called the contact a "racing incident". However, the FIA stewards — including former grand prix driver Pedro Lamy — deemed Hamilton "wholly at fault" and issued a five-second time penalty, which the Ferrari driver served during his pit stop.
Despite losing the lead briefly to Verstappen at the start and then to Leclerc during a Virtual Safety Car period, Antonelli controlled the race with confidence. He reclaimed the lead from Leclerc with 10 laps remaining using superior straightline speed into Les Combes, and thereafter managed his gap to the flag.
The victory is Antonelli's first since the Monaco Grand Prix in May and moves him joint-second on the all-time list of Italian F1 winners behind only Alberto Ascari. He dedicated the win to his father Marco, whose birthday fell on Saturday.
Hamilton's afternoon was further complicated by a separate FIA investigation into an unsafe release from his pit stop, during which he struck a Ferrari mechanic. The team member was reported to be okay.
Sources
- https://apnews.com/article/f1-belgian-grand-prix-spa-antonelli-5aca7d6298b9e2ec265d0d9b662ccb8b
- https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/antonelli-wins-as-hamilton-crash-takes-russell-out-at-spa-f1-belgian-grand-prix/
