SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium — Mercedes prodigy Andrea Kimi Antonelli extended his World Championship lead to 45 points over Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton and 50 points over teammate George Russell after delivering a tactical masterclass to win the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix.
The 19-year-old Italian fought back from a Virtual Safety Car strategy disadvantage to pass Charles Leclerc on track in the closing stages, securing his sixth victory of the season and his F1 career.
Race Summary: Masterclass at Spa
Starting from pole position, Antonelli engaged in an immediate first-lap duel with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. Although Verstappen briefly lunged ahead heading into Eau Rouge, Antonelli aggressively reclaimed the lead into Les Combes.
Position Driver Team Time / Gap
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1 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:24:42.479
2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +1.952s
3 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +11.586s
4 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +17.245s
5 Oscar Piastri McLaren +18.988s
Antonelli appeared in total control through the opening stint before making his scheduled pit stop on Lap 18. However, a subsequent Virtual Safety Car (VSC) allowed Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to pit under reduced speed and emerge in the race lead.
Undeterred by the three-second deficit, Antonelli chipped away at Leclerc’s advantage. On Lap 34, the Italian executed a clean DRS pass down the Kemmel Straight into Les Combes, pulling clear to cross the finish line 1.9 seconds ahead of the Ferrari.
“We lost first place with the Virtual Safety Car, but we kept calm and made our way back,” Antonelli said after the race. “Charles was very quick, but we managed to break out of overtake mode and bring the win home. It’s a great feeling after a couple of tough weekends.”
First-Lap Drama: Russell Retires After Hamilton Clash
While Antonelli celebrated, the other side of the Mercedes garage experienced utter heartbreak.
George Russell, who started third, suffered a severe lack of energy boost off the line and got swallowed up by the pack down the straight to Turn 5. On the entry to Les Combes, Russell made contact with former teammate Lewis Hamilton, sending the Mercedes spinning into the gravel trap and ending his race on the spot.
Hamilton received a five-second penalty for the incident but recovered to finish fourth. A visibly frustrated Russell directed criticism toward a recurring straight-line speed deficit:
“I got totally swallowed up down the straight… We lost all boost on the opening lap,” Russell lamented. “It ended in contact, but the real issue was why we were in that position to begin with.”
Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff later clarified that the opening-lap deployment issue was caused by a software glitch affecting multiple Mercedes-powered cars.
