Kimi Antonelli passed Charles Leclerc to win the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix as Mercedes team-mate and title rival George Russell retired on lap one.
Antonelli conquers Spa
Kimi Antonelli won the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix for Mercedes, passing Charles Leclerc during an incident-filled 44-lap race at Spa-Francorchamps.
The Italian finished in 1:24:42.479, crossing the line 1.952 seconds ahead of Leclerc. Max Verstappen completed the podium for Red Bull Racing in third, 11.586 seconds behind Antonelli.
Antonelli's sixth victory of the 2026 Formula 1 season brought the full 25 points. It also extended his championship lead after Mercedes team-mate and title rival George Russell failed to score.
Leclerc led before Antonelli closed on the Ferrari and made the race-deciding pass. The Mercedes driver then managed the remaining laps, although Leclerc stayed close enough to apply pressure through to the finish.
A margin of 1.952 seconds showed how close the fight had been. Antonelli made the crucial overtake, then kept his composure to defend a narrow lead around one of Formula 1's fastest circuits.
Russell's race ends on opening lap
Mercedes had sharply different outcomes at Spa. Antonelli won, but Russell's Belgian Grand Prix ended before he completed a lap.
Russell made contact with Lewis Hamilton on the opening lap and retired with zero laps officially completed. Mercedes had one car left in contention for the rest of the afternoon, and Antonelli took it to victory.
Hamilton continued for Ferrari and finished fourth, 17.245 seconds behind Antonelli. He placed one spot behind Verstappen, putting both Ferrari cars inside the top four.
Russell's retirement carried a heavy cost in the drivers' championship. Antonelli earned 25 points while his Mercedes team-mate and title rival scored none, increasing the importance of the winner's performance.
Other retirements reduced the classified field. Sergio Perez completed 13 laps for Cadillac, while Lance Stroll managed 25 for Aston Martin, and neither reached the checkered flag. Fernando Alonso was classified 19th after 42 laps, with Cadillac's Valtteri Bottas 18th and one lap down.
Leclerc and Verstappen complete podium
Leclerc followed his Silverstone victory with second place and 18 points. Antonelli stopped him from taking consecutive wins, but the Ferrari driver stayed in contention throughout and finished comfortably ahead of Verstappen.
Verstappen secured third place and 15 points. He finished 9.634 seconds behind Leclerc and 5.659 seconds ahead of Hamilton, leaving clear gaps on both sides at the line.
Oscar Piastri took fifth in the leading McLaren, finishing only 1.743 seconds behind Hamilton. Isack Hadjar placed sixth in the second Red Bull Racing entry, with Lando Norris seventh for McLaren. Hadjar and Norris were separated by just 0.707 seconds.
All seven leading drivers finished within 24.014 seconds of Antonelli. The gaps increased further back, as Gabriel Bortoleto claimed eighth for Audi, 49.140 seconds behind.
Points decided through the midfield
Arvid Lindblad took ninth for Racing Bulls, earning two points after finishing 1.266 seconds behind Bortoleto. Franco Colapinto collected the final point in 10th for Alpine, beating team-mate Pierre Gasly by 0.954 seconds.
The battle immediately outside the points stayed close. Gasly finished 11th, Liam Lawson was 12th for Racing Bulls, and Nico Hulkenberg placed 13th for Audi. The trio was covered by only 1.357 seconds.
Oliver Bearman brought his Haas home in 14th, ahead of Williams drivers Alexander Albon and Carlos Sainz. Esteban Ocon finished 17th in the second Haas.
The top 10 at Spa-Francorchamps was:
- 1. Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
- 2. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
- 3. Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
- 4. Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
- 5. Oscar Piastri, McLaren
- 6. Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing
- 7. Lando Norris, McLaren
- 8. Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi
- 9. Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls
- 10. Franco Colapinto, Alpine
Victory extends Antonelli's championship lead
The Belgian Grand Prix delivered a significant swing in Antonelli's favor. He arrived leading the championship and extended that advantage by taking his sixth victory of the campaign as Russell retired.
No updated points totals were supplied, but Antonelli gained 25 points on his team-mate from the race alone. With every non-score capable of reshaping the title fight at this stage of the season, Russell's opening-lap retirement proved especially costly.
Antonelli displayed the pace to catch and pass Leclerc, followed by the control needed to resist the Ferrari driver's pursuit. A winning margin of less than two seconds made clean execution central to the result.
Formula 1 heads next to the Hungarian Grand Prix. Antonelli will arrive with a stronger championship lead, while Russell must respond immediately after his costly Belgian weekend.
