Formula 1 is The Kimi Antonelli Show, the Belgian Grand Prix his latest blockbuster

Antonelli's biggest threat to the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship is pre-season favourite,  Mercedes teammate George Russell. But his race ended after a first-lap shunt with former Mercedes superhero Lewis Hamilton.

That resulted in an instant DNF for Russell, whose Mercedes was beached at Les Combes with his race over. The cost was significant, as the gap between Kimi and George in the standings doubled to 50, points after ten rounds.

From the start, Antonelli was quick off the line and controlled the early part of the race. But on Lap 18, the VSC was deployed, which favoured Ferrari.

Antonelli emerged from his stop chasing rather than leading Leclerc. The 19-year-old set to work, tenaciously reeling in the Ferrari, taking the lead on Lap 34 and remaining there to claim his sixth Grand Prix victory of the season. Simply put, and to use a word fast becoming the young maestro's unofficial trademark: Masterclass!

The victory ended a difficult three-race run for Antonelli, who had failed to convert Mercedes' pace into the results his early-season form promised.

The championship leader was relieved to return to winning ways but admitted Ferrari and Leclerc had made him earn it. Antonelli said: “It’s great to be back on the top step after obviously a few difficult rounds.

"It was a hard-fought race. We lost first place with a VSC but then we managed to make our way back. It was a tough win because Charles was quick and we had to hold onto them," added Antonelli, who did not panic after losing track position. Instead, he steadily reduced Leclerc's advantage before making the decisive move with ten laps remaining.

Russell's opening-lap retirement turned a strong result into a major championship swing for Antonelli. However, he acknowledged that the situation could reverse just as quickly: "The momentum was always there. It was just about getting the result. We were a bit lucky with what happened in terms of the championship.

"That's why you have to take every opportunity because we saw it can really swing very easily, the situation. We have to just keep performing, bringing the results and see what happens at the end of the year," added the Mercedes driver.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff told reporters that Antonelli had produced a faultless weekend after missing a potential victory through retirement at Silverstone: "I'm happy for Kimi. He really deserved to win.

"Silverstone should have been his but he had a DNF on the car. Today, all weekend, was very strong. Never dropped the ball. Even when the VSC went against him, he lost the lead but regained it and eked it out. He merited that victory," declared Wolff.

Antonelli heads to the Hungarian Grand Pix restored to the top step of the podium, carrying a 45-point advantage over Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton, in P2, and renewed momentum after an enchanting weekend at Spa-Francorchamps for the prodigoius Italian teenager.
(Reporting by Agnes Carloer from Spa-Francorchamps)