Belgian GP 2026: A win for Antonelli, a nightmare for Russell at Spa

Spa-Francorchamps rarely gives us boring, and the Belgian GP 2026 was no exception. There was a first-lap crash, a virtual safety car, and a closing stint where Kimi Antonelli had to work for his win the hard way.

It is safe to say that round 10 of the 2026 season had a lot going on, and not everyone came out of it smiling.

A tale of two Mercedes

Kimi Antonelli started from pole, but briefly lost the lead to Verstappen out of La Source on the opening lap. Although the 19-year-old took the position back at Les Combes, a virtual safety car around the middle of the race shuffled the order again.

Ferrari reacted to the VSC quickly and pitted Leclerc, who came out ahead of Antonelli. The championship leader found himself in second again without being passed on track. It took Antonelli until the last 10 laps to overtake Leclerc and get back to the front, but the 19-year-old pulled through.

Winning six out of ten rounds, Antonelli has built a 50-point lead over his teammate George Russell following the Belgian GP 2026.

On the other side of the Mercedes garage, George Russell’s Sunday went in the opposite direction. Just out of Turn 1 on the opening lap, he found himself down on battery and was overtaken by both Ferraris along the Kemmel Straight. As Hamilton moved ahead, Russell went around the outside of the Ferrari driver going into Les Combes. The two made contact, and Russell was in the gravel before completing even a single lap.

Neither driver blamed the other, and the stewards handed Hamilton a five-second penalty for the crash. But the bigger issue for Russell wasn’t this particular incident. In a normal race, he said, he shouldn’t have been fighting Hamilton at all. The straight-line speed problem that has been following Mercedes since Silverstone cost the Briton his race at the Belgian GP 2026.

“It’s one thing after another, after another, after another… Try and reset again, done it enough times this season and see what we can do.”

George Russell

Leclerc, Verstappen, and the VSC lottery

Charles Leclerc was the driver who got the most out of the virtual safety car, and he made it count. He started in fourth, gained a place on the opening lap, and when the VSC window opened, both he and Ferrari were ready. After pitting under the VSC, he came out ahead of Antonelli and led the race with 10 laps to go at the Belgian GP 2026. He genuinely believed he could hold on, but he couldn’t keep the championship leader at bay. Although, back-to-back podiums after Silverstone mean Ferrari’s momentum is very much alive.

Max Verstappen finished third at the end of the Belgian GP 2026, though it didn’t feel like a great day for Red Bull. They pitted him just before the VSC came out, which left him stuck between Hamilton and Leclerc with not much to do for the rest of the race. He gave it everything, got the podium, and it was comparatively a good day for the four-time world champion.

Points, progress, and a drive to remember

Lewis Hamilton finished fourth despite carrying damage from the lap one contact with Russell throughout the race. Apart from the five-second time penalty, there was also a separate pit stop incident where a mechanic was struck as Hamilton left the pit box. Ferrari were fined €30,000 for it, but Hamilton was allowed to keep his result. Not a perfect weekend at the Belgian GP 2026 for them, but the points are there.

Oscar Piastri finished fifth after getting into a scrappy battle with Leclerc mid-race that left his McLaren with some damage. Isack Hadjar was the standout of the midfield. The Red Bull driver received a 20-place grid penalty and started from P21. He slowly worked his way up the grid and crossed the line in sixth. Norris and Bortoleto rounded out the top eight, with Lindblad and Colapinto collecting the final points of the day in ninth and tenth at the Belgian GP 2026.

No points, no luck

Once again, it was a difficult afternoon for the Aston Martins. Stroll retired due to some car issues, while Alonso also finished at the back of the grid. Perez also retired with car issues, adding to what has been a frustrating season for the Mexican driver. And his teammate, Bottas also finished second-last, continuing Cadillac’s point-less season into the Belgian GP 2026.

Both Williams and Haas cars finished out of points, along with Gasly, Lawson, and Hülkenberg.

One more before the break

Antonelli heads to Hungary with a 45-point lead over Hamilton and 50 over Russell. Six wins in ten races, and right now, nobody seems to have an answer for him. Though the Belgian GP 2026 did remind everyone that a single VSC can change everything in seconds.

Hungary is next, and it’s the last race before the summer break. Russell needs points and answers. Antonelli just needs more of the same.