Kimi Antonelli overcame a strategically-timed Virtual Safety Car to outmaneuver Charles Leclerc and claim a hard-fought victory at the Belgian Grand Prix, further extending his championship lead. The win marked Antonelli's sixth of the season and came despite a challenging first lap. Teammate George Russell, meanwhile, suffered a significant setback in his title bid after being spun out into the gravel on the first lap following a collision with Lewis Hamilton, who was deemed at fault by stewards and handed a five-second penalty.
Hamilton eventually finished fourth, overtaking McLaren's Oscar Piastri with four laps remaining. A post-race investigation was launched into an unsafe Ferrari release during Hamilton's pit stop, which resulted in a mechanic being struck by the Ferrari's front-right tire. Ferrari was subsequently fined €30,000 for the incident. The outcome of the race saw Hamilton move back ahead of Russell in the standings, with Antonelli now 45 points clear at the top.
Max Verstappen took third place, briefly leading the race on the first lap before being overtaken by Antonelli and later Leclerc during the Virtual Safety Car period. Red Bull's Isack Hadjar drove a strong race from the back row to finish sixth, holding off Lando Norris, who was on fresher tires. The top ten was rounded out by Gabriel Bortoleto for Audi, Arvid Lindblad for Racing Bulls, and Alpine's Franco Colapinto. The victory marked a significant turnaround for Antonelli, who had been plagued by unreliability issues in his Mercedes in recent races.
With one race remaining before the summer break, Antonelli's championship lead looks increasingly secure, while Russell's title hopes appear to be slipping away.