2026 F1 Belgian Grand Prix Recap

By Ryan Wu

It’s Kimi Antonelli’s world and we’re all simply living within it. Antonelli held off Charles Leclerc of Ferrari to secure his sixth race victory of the year and first since the Monaco Grand Prix.

The Championship title is looking more likely with each passing race to be secured by the teenage phenom as George Russell and Lewis Hamilton now find themselves 50 and 45 points back, respectively.

Race Recap

The longest circuit on the Formula 1 calendar delivered plenty of drama on the opening lap. Max Verstappen made a bold move around Antonelli through the fast Eau Rouge corner, but Charles Leclerc responded with an excellent overtake after the Kemmel Straight. As a result, Verstappen dropped from first to third while Leclerc moved into second.

George Russell's race ended on the opening lap after his car became stranded in the gravel following a collision with his former teammate, Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton was handed a five-second time penalty for causing the incident. Oliver Bearman was also forced off the track after Carlos Sainz collided with him. Both incidents brought out the safety car on the first lap.

Antonelli made his only pit stop on lap 18, remaining the net race leader as Leclerc pitted and inherited the effective race lead from Antonelli, while Lando Norris briefly led the race before making his own pit stop.

A virtual safety car on lap 21 proved pivotal. Leclerc pitted and inherited the effective race lead from Antonelli, while Lando Norris briefly led the race before making his own pit stop. A lengthy battle between Antonelli and Norris allowed Leclerc to build a 2.8-second advantage before Antonelli finally overtook the reigning world champion on lap 26.

Antonelli's superior straight-line speed paid off on lap 34, as he powered past Leclerc on the Kemmel Straight to reclaim the lead. From there, he controlled the race to the checkered flag. Leclerc stayed within striking distance but ultimately finished 1.9 seconds behind, securing second place.

Russell’s Woes Continue

After recording his third pointless finish of the season, a dejected George Russell admitted he had become accustomed to the setbacks.

"I'm numb to the disappointment now," Russell said. "When it happens so often, you just get used to it."

It was later revealed that a software issue had left Russell's engine running at reduced power compared with his teammates' cars, limiting his top speed on several sections of the circuit and further compromising his race.

Hamilton’s Strange Day

Despite receiving a five-second penalty for causing a first-lap collision, Lewis Hamilton recovered to finish fourth.

However, Ferrari was later fined €30,000 after Hamilton struck a mechanic during a pit stop. The incident occurred as Hamilton was expecting both a tire change and a front wing adjustment. Once the tire change was completed, the car was lowered and the pit exit light turned green, prompting Hamilton to pull away while a mechanic was still working on the front wing.

Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident, but Ferrari was handed the €30,000 fine for the unsafe release.

Racing Refresh Driver of the Day

Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Final Points Finishing Positions

1st:  Kimi Antonelli

2nd: Charles Leclerc

3rd: Max Verstappen

4th: Lewis Hamilton

5th: Oscar Piastri

6th: Isack Hadjar

7th: Lando Norris

8th: Gabriel Bortoleto

9th: Arvid Lindblad

10th: Franco Colapinto

Next on the F1 Schedule:

Hungarian Grand Prix: July 24th-26th