Kimi Antonelli conquered the Belgian Grand Prix after a race marked by first lap incidents and a strategy that proved decisive. Charles Leclerc finished second and Max Verstappen completed the podium.
Kimi Antonelli continues to write an extraordinary season. The Mercedes driver took the Belgian Grand Prix after a 44 lap race at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit, securing his sixth win of the 2026 championship and taking another step on his path to the world title.
The start was the most tense moment of the race. Max Verstappen surprised the polesitter and managed to overtake Antonelli at Eau Rouge, although the Italian reacted quickly and prevented the Dutchman from escaping in the first kilometers.
Behind them, the picture was much more complicated. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell made contact, causing the immediate deployment of the Safety Car. The incident ended with Russell's retirement on the very first lap, while Hamilton received a five second penalty for the maneuver.
On that same lap, there was also contact between Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman, although both were able to continue. Once the race was restarted, the competition found a very stable rhythm with few overtaking opportunities. Strategy began to take center stage, and neutralizations once again played an important role.
On lap 14, Sergio Pérez had to retire due to a suspension problem on his Cadillac, while five laps later, a Virtual Safety Car once again modified the race's development. Ferrari took advantage of that moment to execute its strategy, and Charles Leclerc managed to overtake Lando Norris, a move that would prove decisive in securing second place.
However, the day was not completely calm for the Italian team. During one of the pit stops, an unsafe release occurred, resulting in Lewis Hamilton lightly hitting one of the team's mechanics. Fortunately, the Ferrari crew member did not suffer serious consequences, although the maneuver remains under investigation and the stewards' decision will be known in the coming hours.
As the laps went by, Verstappen once again showed his ability to fight in decisive moments and on lap 29 he overtook Lando Norris with a great move to reclaim a podium position. Antonelli, meanwhile, managed the race pace with authority and on lap 34 he definitively regained the lead to head towards another victory without giving his pursuers any options.
Although the fight for the top positions was practically defined in the final third of the race, the excitement appeared in the fight for tenth place. Franco Colapinto starred in one of the best moves of the Sunday when, on lap 31, he took advantage of the fight between Liam Lawson and Pierre Gasly to overtake both in the same action.
From there, an intense dispute began for the last available point, with Colapinto, Gasly, Lawson and Nico Hülkenberg. Finally, the Argentine driver managed to hold on to tenth position until the checkered flag and once again scored for Alpine after a standout performance.
The other great comeback of the day was led by Isack Hadjar. The Red Bull driver, who had started from twenty first position, completed an excellent race to finish sixth and was voted Driver of the Day by the fans.
With this result, Kimi Antonelli adds his sixth victory of the season and further consolidates his lead in the championship. Charles Leclerc confirmed Ferrari's great moment with another second place, while Max Verstappen returned to the podium after several difficult races.
Formula 1 leaves Belgium with a Mercedes that continues to set the pace, although Ferrari continues to show that it can fight on equal terms for wins. The championship now enters a decisive stage, where every point will begin to carry increasing weight in the title fight.
