At the end of the 10th round of the 2026 Formula 1 world championship based at the driver-favourite Spa-Francorchamps circuit, it was Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli who returned to the top step of the podium for his sixth career win and sixth win this season. Completing the podium at the Belgian race was Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in second and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in the final podium position.
On the other side of the Mercedes garage, Antonelli’s teammate George Russell was unable to finish the opening lap after an early collision with Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton brought his race to an untimely end. Elsewhere in the points, the McLaren pair alongside Arvid Lindblad, Gabriel Bortoleto and Franco Colapinto rounded up the points-scorers.
Lights Out and Opening Laps
On the opening lap, despite a strong race start, Antonelli was pipped by Verstappen for the lead of the race however the young Italian driver was able to come back for the race lead before the end of the lap. After Hamilton and Russell made contact, for which the seven-time world champion was given a 5-second time penalty, the Safety Car was deployed.
With Antonelli starting to build a gap in front, and remaining out of the threat of second place behind, Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc were free to fight for the runner’s up position. On Lap 6, the Dutch driver moved into the runner’s up spot where he stayed for the next stint of the race.
With Leclerc settled in his position of third, he came under pressure from Oscar Piastri behind. The pair, whilst wheel-to-wheel racing, made contact and although the incident was noted and investigated, it was ultimately dismissed by the stewards. However, the Australian driver carried damage to his car as a result which hindered the aerodynamics of his car.
A flurry of Virtual Safety Cars
On Lap 18, to address the issue of debris on track, a Virtual Safety Car was deployed which promoted Antonelli to come into the pits. However, the split-second decisions meant that Antonelli did not capitalise on the situation and few drivers followed behind into the pits.
A second Virtual Safety Car was called only a few laps later and among the list of drivers called in was Piastri, escaping from his teammate who had been demonstrating excellent pace. Inheriting the lead of the race, Norris was soon overtaken by Verstappen and then Antonelli as well. After a slow stop, Norris rejoined the grid in eighth and from then onwards, the smaller battles at the front became the main focus for the final stint of the race.
Closing Stages
In the closing stages of the Belgian Grand Prix, there were battles taking place up and down the grid. At the front, Leclerc and Antonelli fought for the lead of the race whilst Piastri and Hamilton battled for fourth. Ahead of the midfield drivers, Hadjar and Norris were the last of the front-runners with the British driver steadily gaining on the Frenchman for sixth.
Behind, there was smaller skirmishes between the Alpine teammates as Franco Colapinto made his way past Liam Lawson and Pierre Gasly in a single move. Although Gasly gave it his all, Colapinto emerged ahead for another crucial points finish in 2026.
At the end of the Belgian round, there were three retirements with Russell, Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll failing to see the chequered flag in Spa. For Cadillac’s Perez, a suspected suspension issue saw him come into the pits on Lap 24 and Aston Martin’s Stroll was the final retiree on Lap 27.
Although the chequered flag has been waved and the bottles of champagne from the podium have been emptied, the final race classification is not yet settled with Hamilton still set to be investigated post-session for an unsafe release. With Piastri, Hadjar and Norris close behind with small gaps, the impact of this investigation is sure to have major consequences.
Driver of the Day at the Belgian GP
For joint driver of the day, there could be no one but Red Bull’s Hadjar and McLaren’s Norris for the impeccable drives they put together from the back of the grid. With both drivers dropping down the order due to penalties for utilising parts outside of their allocation for the season, they had it all to do in order to score some points for their teams.
Championship Impact of Belgian Round
Coming into this weekend, Antonelli’s lead had been reduced to 25 points ahead of Russell after his failure to score in Silverstone. However this victory sets him 50 points ahead of second place. As things currently stand, Hamilton has moved into second in the World Drivers’ Championship standings ahead of Russell.
In the World Constructors’ Championship, Mercedes have extended their lead out in front with their eighth win of the season so far and 358 points. In the midfield, the fight between Racing Bulls and Alpine continues to excite fans as both teams are equal on 61 points despite the performance gap on-track.
Looking Ahead
For the final race ahead of the summer break, F1 will move to Budapest for the Hungarian Grand Prix to round up this European double-header. Antonelli, with momentum and speed both on his side, will hope to extend his lead out front with Hamilton and Russell both hoping to find something to stay within touch of the teenager.
Featured Image Credit: Formula 1
Edited by Alexandra.
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