Kimi Antonelli managed to turn a potentially race‑changing Virtual Safety Car (VSC) into an advantage, passing Charles Leclerc and clinching the Belgian Grand Prix. The triumph came on a day that also saw George Russell’s title campaign suffer a fresh blow.
The win widened Antonelli's lead over his teammate Russell to 50 points after the British driver was forced into the gravel at the fifth corner on the opening lap. The incident occurred when Lewis Hamilton made contact with Russell in a collision that the stewards deemed to be the fault of the Ferrari driver. Hamilton received a five‑second time penalty, which he served during his only pit stop, and ultimately crossed the line in fourth place after overtaking McLaren’s Oscar Piastri with four laps remaining. Both Hamilton and Ferrari were later subject to a post‑race probe concerning an unsafe release from the pit lane.
A Ferrari mechanic was struck by the car’s front‑right tyre after Hamilton was mistakenly given the signal to leave his box. The mechanic was briefly knocked to his knees but escaped injury. Ferrari were fined €30,000 for the breach, with one‑third of the amount suspended for twelve months.
In the drivers' standings, Hamilton reclaimed second place behind Antonelli, now sitting 45 points clear of the Italian. Antonelli’s sixth win of the season reinforces his status as a championship favourite as the calendar moves toward the Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest, the final race before the summer break.
Mercedes’ reliability issues have plagued Russell’s car in two of the last three events, further complicating his title bid. Max Verstappen briefly led the race after overtaking Antonelli on the first lap through Eau Rouge, but the Mercedes driver quickly retook the lead.
Verstappen eventually settled for third after being passed by Leclerc during the VSC period. The Dutchman struggled on the hard compound in the final stint, finishing nine seconds behind Leclerc, which marked Red Bull’s 300th podium finish in Formula 1. Isack Hadjar delivered a strong performance for Red Bull, climbing from the back row to finish sixth.
He capitalised on two early pit stops under the safety car triggered by Russell’s crash to meet the mandatory tyre‑change regulations. Hadjar defended his position against Lando Norris, who was on significantly fresher tyres after a late stop, holding off the McLaren driver despite starting thirteenth on the grid with a penalty.
Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto secured eighth place, followed by Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad in ninth and Alpine’s Franco Colapinto in tenth. The official top‑ten order was: 1.
Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) 2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 3.
Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 4. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 5. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) 6. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) 7.
Lando Norris (McLaren) 8. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) 9. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) 10.
Franco Colapinto (Alpine) Antonelli entered Spa‑Francorchamps as the pole‑sitter and clear favourite, yet his path to victory was anything but simple across 44 intense laps. From the start, he expected a fierce battle for the lead, especially against fellow front‑row starter Verstappen, given the slipstream‑friendly nature of the circuit’s opening sector. Antonelli held the line through La Source but was overtaken by Verstappen as they approached the bottom of Eau Rouge.
The young Mercedes driver, however, retained more battery charge for the long Kemmel Straight and used the extra power to reclaim the lead before the next braking zone at Les Combes. Leclerc, starting fourth, also made an impressive launch and passed Verstappen early on. Verstappen regained second place on lap six, staying within three seconds of Antonelli when he pitted on lap 17.
Antonelli’s stop a lap later kept him ahead of the Red Bull, preserving his race lead. Ferrari chose to keep both of their cars out longer, a strategy that paid off when a VSC was deployed on lap 20 due to debris on the track. The reduced‑speed period allowed Ferrari to pit both drivers simultaneously, losing less time than they would have under green‑flag conditions. When the VSC ended, Leclerc emerged 2.5 seconds ahead of Antonelli and on slightly fresher hard tyres.
Nevertheless, Mercedes’ superior straight‑line speed allowed Antonelli to retake the lead on lap 34 down the Kemmel Straight. The remainder of the race saw Antonelli extend his advantage, eventually crossing the finish line just 1.9 seconds ahead of Leclerc.
After the race, Antonelli praised the effort: "It feels great to be back on the top step after a few tough rounds. It was a hard‑fought race.
We lost the lead during the VSC but managed to get it back. It was a tough win because Charles was quick and we had to hold him off." Leclerc, who finished second, reflected on his performance: "I believed I could win until the end. The VSC came at the right time for us and the pace was strong.
I was on hard tyres for five or six laps and struggled with the front axle, but it came back a little later." Russell’s weekend was markedly less positive. After qualifying third, he was overtaken by both Ferraris on the first lap and then challenged by Piastri’s McLaren.
Attempting to regain position on the outside of Hamilton into Les Combes, Russell was hit by the understeering Ferrari, which clipped the Mercedes’ right‑rear wheel and sent him spinning into the gravel. Although Hamilton received a penalty for the incident, Russell blamed the loss on a mysterious straight‑line speed deficiency that plagued his car throughout the weekend. "I got totally swallowed up down the straight," he lamented. "I lost three positions into Turn Five and then the incident happened.
Maybe I could have gone a bit wider, maybe Hamilton could have braked more. The incident wouldn’t have occurred if I had the speed down the straight." The championship now heads to Budapest for the Hungarian Grand Prix, with all sessions broadcast live on Sky Sports F1 from Friday.
Fans can stream the race via NOW without a contract, cancelling at any time. The upcoming race will be crucial for both Antonelli, who looks to cement his lead, and Russell, who must recover lost points to stay in contention for the title.