Kimi Antonelli secured a decisive victory at the Belgian Grand Prix, held at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit, reinforcing his dominance in this season’s championship battle. The young contender overtook Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc with ten laps remaining, marking his sixth win of the year and doubling his points lead over rival George Russell from 25 to 50.
Leclerc, who had hoped to build on his British Grand Prix triumph, finished a close second, nearly two seconds behind Antonelli. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen secured the final podium position in third, followed by Lewis Hamilton, who endured a turbulent afternoon.
Hamilton’s race was marred by controversy, including a collision with George Russell on the opening lap that earned him a five-second penalty. Later in the pits, Hamilton accidentally ran over a mechanic after being mistakenly given the green light to exit, though the mechanic avoided serious injury. Hamilton’s consolidation of points places him second in the championship, yet he now faces a post-race investigation for Ferrari’s unsafe release.
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The race started with Antonelli in pole but Leclerc capitalized on a Virtual Safety Car period to take the lead briefly. Nevertheless, Antonelli exhibited relentless pace, reclaiming the lead on the Kemmel Straight during lap 34, maintaining his advantage to the finish line.
Russell’s day ended early after a mechanical issue left him vulnerable on the opening straight. Attempting to reclaim position against Hamilton, their contact sent Russell spinning off into the gravel, ending his race prematurely. Reflecting on the incident, Russell described it as a racing incident but bemoaned his recurring misfortunes, expressing how repeated setbacks have left him “numb to disappointment.”
Meanwhile, Lando Norris impressed by recovering from a 13th-place start—due to an engine penalty—to finish seventh, just behind Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar. Oscar Piastri claimed fifth, rounding out a strong day for his team.
Antonelli celebrated his victory as a significant boost to his championship campaign. “It’s great to be back on top after a few challenging rounds,” he said. “The fight was tough, especially after losing the lead during the VSC. Charles was quick, but we held on. We have to keep pushing because the championship can swing quickly. Today’s win was a combination of performance and a bit of luck; now we focus on maintaining this momentum through the rest of the season.”