Belgian GP 2026: Antonelli passes Leclerc as Russell crashes out

Kimi Antonelli won the Belgian Grand Prix from pole position, beating Charles Leclerc by 1.952 seconds at Spa-Francorchamps after taking the lead back on lap 34 of 44. Max Verstappen finished third for Red Bull. It was the Mercedes driver's sixth win of the season and his first since Monaco, on a day his teammate George Russell did not complete a lap.

How Antonelli won at Spa

Verstappen made the better launch and led briefly through Eau Rouge, but Antonelli was back in front on the Kemmel Straight. Behind them, Russell lost ground to both Ferraris, tried the outside of Lewis Hamilton at Les Combes and ended up in the gravel. The safety car came out, and the stewards later gave Hamilton a five-second penalty for the contact.

The race was settled in the pit lane. Antonelli stopped for hard tyres under the first of two virtual safety cars; Ferrari waited for the second and brought both cars in together. That cheaper stop put Leclerc ahead of the Mercedes. Antonelli closed in, went round the outside of the Ferrari on the Kemmel Straight on lap 34 and kept Leclerc behind him to the flag.

Hamilton served his penalty at his only stop, where he also struck a mechanic still working on his front wing. The mechanic was unhurt and the stewards opened an unsafe release investigation. Hamilton still finished fourth. Sergio Pérez retired with what he described as a suspension problem, and Lance Stroll also stopped with a mechanical issue.

The teammate duels at Spa

Mercedes. Antonelli out-qualified Russell by 0.487% of a lap, a large margin by the standards of this pairing. The race verdict is void: Russell's retirement takes Sunday out of our count. Their 2026 head-to-head now reads 6–4 to Antonelli in qualifying and 4–4 in races, which is a long way from what the points table says.

Ferrari. Saturday could hardly have been closer. Leclerc beat Hamilton by 0.002% of a lap, fourth against fifth on the grid. Sunday was clearer: Leclerc turned the double stop into the lead and a second place, while Hamilton carried his penalty home in fourth. Leclerc leads 7–3 on Saturdays this season, yet Hamilton still has the edge in races, 5–4.

McLaren. Lando Norris out-qualified Oscar Piastri, then a ten-place penalty for a new battery put him 13th on the grid. Starting on hards, he stayed out long enough to lead until Leclerc passed him on lap 23, lost more time with a slow stop on lap 31 and finished seventh. Piastri, fifth after a brush with Leclerc that the stewards left alone, takes the race verdict. The McLaren duel is level at 3–3 in races.

Red Bull. The drive of the afternoon came from Isack Hadjar, who started 21st after a power unit change and finished sixth, holding off Norris at the end. It did not change the verdict. Verstappen beat him on Saturday and on Sunday, and leads their season count 5–1 in races.

What it means for the title

Antonelli leaves Spa on 204 points, 45 clear of Hamilton and 50 ahead of Russell, who arrived in Belgium 25 behind. Every duel from the weekend is on our Belgian GP page. Hungary is next.