Belgian Grand Prix: Untouchable Kimi Antonelli back on top, George Russell trips up
F1 NewsSunday, 19 July 2026 at 16:26
Kimi Antonelli, the 2026 Formula 1 Championship leader, won the Belgian Grand Prix after fending off a tough challenge from Ferrari's Charles Leclerc on a day when George Russell received a huge blow to his title chances.
As was the case in Qualifying on Saturday when Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen tried to deny Antonelli pole with Isack Hadjar towing his teammate, a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) which benefitted Leclerc was not enough to deny the Mercedes youngster return back to the top step of the podium.
Antonelli had a great start from pole position and while Verstappen managed to pass him for the lead coming out of Eau Rouge, the former managed to retake the lead as Leclerc mugged Verstappen for second as things turned messy behind them.
Lights out at Spa!
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 19, 2026
Watch a dramatic opening to the Belgian Grand Prix 🎥#F1 #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/P2AkibfxXy
George Russell was fighting Lewis Hamilton, with Oscar Piastri lurking behind. The Briton made an optimistic move on the outside into Les Combes and clipped the #44 Ferrari and ended up in the gravel and out of the race.
It was another massive blow for Russell as the gap to his teammate in the 2026 Formula 1 Drivers' Championship now increasing by 25 points to 50 points while also dropping to third behind Hamilton.
Here's what happened to Russell on the opening lap 🎥
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 19, 2026
Contact between the Mercedes driver and Hamilton 👀#F1 #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/g8W51zjlyg
The Safety Car was out to clear Russell's stricken Mercedes with racing resumed on Lap 4 with Antonelli keeping his lead with Leclerc in second and Verstappen in third who soon passes Leclerc for second.
Leclerc was then stuck in a train trying to attack Verstappen while having to defend from Oscar Piastri who was also looking out in his mirrors for Hamilton who was slapped with an inexplicable five-second penalty for the contact with Russell in what was a clear Lap 1 racing incident.
On Lap 8, Piastri had a look at Leclerc who delivered a naughty defense into Les Combes, touching with the #81 McLaren which sustained damage, but the stewards let the Monegasque go without any penalty.
Whoa! 😮
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 19, 2026
Contact between Leclerc and Piastri in the battle for P3 💥#F1 #BelgianGP | LAP 8/44 pic.twitter.com/UDl5E0DXS6
Piastri then dropped behind, passed by Hamilton for fourth, as the seven-time Formula 1 Champion tried to pass his teammate, failing to do so.
Verstappen pulled the trigger on Lap 17, diving into the pits to cover a potential undercut from Leclerc with Antonelli pitting one lap later under a VSC (to remove debris), which was too short for the Italian to benefit from but also surviving a moment while going hot into the pits.
Antonelli pits, and almost hits the wall before he gets there!
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 19, 2026
No damage done and he comes back out in P5 #F1 #BelgianGP | LAP 19/44 pic.twitter.com/UmVtz70I3b
Leclerc stayed out and got lucky once again as another VSC was out to clear gravel from the track with Ferrari double stacking the cars.
The winner of the 2026 British Grand Prix soon found himself in a position to make it two in a row as he took the lead, but Antonelli had other plans as he chased the #16 Ferrari down relentlessly, making a pass on Lap 34.
Leclerc has no answer this time...
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 19, 2026
Antonelli sweeps past and into the lead 💪#F1 #BelgianGP | LAP 34/44 pic.twitter.com/cyDkh2FWZx
From there on, Antonelli pushed on trying to eke out a gap to Leclerc and managed to do so crossing the line, almost two seconds clear.
Verstappen had a anonymous second stint after switching to the Hard tyres which he complained about all the way to the end, but managed to finish on the podium in P3.
Nevertheless, it was a decent result for the four-time Formula 1 Champion who was driving an RB22 without a Macarena rear wing which was detrimental to its top speed, a crucial factor for a good result around Spa-Francorchamps.
Behind the top three
Hamilton managed to overcome his five-second penalty from the Russell incident and managed to take fourth after a late-race pass on Piastri in the McLaren despite having to deal with an understeery car on his second stint as Ferrari mechanics failed to adjust his front wing during his stop.
However, the Ferrari driver will be investigated after the race for unsafe release as he hit one of his mechanics while making his way out of the pit box.
The Ferrari mechanic, on the other hand, was thankfully okay.
⏪ Rewind to Lap 20
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 19, 2026
Hamilton serves his time penalty before changing tyres
There's a moment with one of the mechanics but he appears to be okay
Stewards are going to look at the incident for an unsafe release #F1 #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/dgdaJ886OE
It was a case of what could've been for McLaren as Piastri was fifth at the chequered flag despite the damage he sustained from his incident with Leclerc and couldn't keep Hamilton behind in the end.
Hadjar drove a solid race from 21st on the grid following his 30-place grid penalty and managed to finish in sixth ahead of Lando Norris who was seventh.
The reigning Formula 1 Champion must be ruing the decision to take an extra power electronics unit this weekend which meant he started P13 after qualifying P3 showing great pace throughout the weekend and the Grand Prix.
To make matters worse for the McLaren ace, his pitstop on Lap 31 from the lead, to take Mediums after a decent long stint on Hards, was a slow one as his wheel got stuck. That meant he dropped to eighth with a huge gap to make up, which meant seventh was the best he could achieve.
More pit-stop dramas, this time for McLaren 👀
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 19, 2026
Norris finally pits but there's a problem with the left rear tyre 😫
The world champ comes back out on track in P8 #F1 #BelgianGP | LAP 31/44 pic.twitter.com/FHNKystXG8
Gabriel Bortoleto took eighth for Audi ahead of Arvid Lindblad who was ninth as Franco Colapinto completed the top ten.
What the top three said
“It’s great to be back on the top step after obviously a few difficult rounds," Antonelli said after taking his sixth win in 2026. "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.”
He admitted he got a bit lucky with Russell's retirement, he added: "The momentum was always there. It was just about getting the result.
"Today 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," the 19-year-old concluded.
Leclerc added: "I believed in the win until the end. We had a little bit of luck with the VSC at the right time for us but the pace was relatively strong.
"There were five or six laps on the hard tyres when I was struggling with the front axle, then it came back a little bit.
"I feel better with the car. Still some work to do but surely a step forward," he concluded.
As for Verstappen, he lamented the timing of the VSC, he commented: “I think [I’m happy with the result]. I tried everything I could in the race.
“The first stint wasn’t too bad. The second stint probably a little bit more difficult. At the same time, I think Kimi and I got a little bit unlucky with the VSC as well.
“I think for us to be on the podium is very good. I gave it everything I had, and I think actually P3 is good," Verstappen concluded.
Belgian Grand Prix Provisional Classification
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