Antonelli Overpowers Leclerc to Claim Belgian Grand Prix Victory

Kimi Antonelli demonstrated immense maturity to claim his sixth victory of the 2026 season at the Belgian Grand Prix. The Italian driver kept his cool after losing the lead in the pit lane to hunt down Charles Leclerc and secure a vital win that extends his championship advantage to 50 points.

On a cool and dry Sunday at Spa-Francorchamps with track temperatures hovering around 32°C, the race delivered high drama from the very first lap. A collision between ex-Mercedes teammates, a brilliant tactical gamble from Ferrari and a fierce recovery drive from McLaren kept the packed grandstands entertained until the chequered flag.

Opening lap chaos for Mercedes

Antonelli started cleanly from pole position to hold off the slipstreaming Red Bull of Max Verstappen through Eau Rouge and Raidillon. However, the real drama unfolded just behind them on the Kemmel Straight.

Lights out at Spa!

Watch a dramatic opening to the Belgian Grand Prix 🎥#F1 #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/P2AkibfxXy

— Formula 1 (@F1) July 19, 2026

George Russell and Lewis Hamilton found themselves fighting for the same piece of tarmac. The resulting contact sent Russell into the gravel trap and out of the race, deployed the Safety Car and effectively ruined the younger Briton’s championship momentum. Hamilton managed to continue but was swiftly handed a five-second time penalty by the stewards for causing the collision.

Here's Lewis' view of the contact with George on the opening lap 👀#F1 #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/ZticPlZfQH

— Formula 1 (@F1) July 19, 2026

When the Safety Car retreated on Lap 5, Antonelli comfortably led the pack away. He spent the opening stint steadily building a gap over Verstappen and Leclerc but struggled to completely break the slipstream effect of the sprawling Belgian circuit.

Ferrari’s masterstroke

The complexion of the race changed entirely on Lap 19. A brief Virtual Safety Car (VSC) was deployed to clear debris from the track just after Antonelli had made his first pit stop.

Ferrari seized the moment brilliantly. As the VSC ended, they executed a flawless double-stack pit stop for Leclerc and Hamilton. The cheap stop allowed Leclerc to emerge from the pit lane ahead of Antonelli on pure merit.

The ensuing laps saw McLaren’s Lando Norris briefly inherit the lead on an extended hard-tyre stint. Norris had started 13th due to grid penalties and was desperately trying to overcut the field. Unfortunately for McLaren, a disastrous 7.8-second pit stop on Lap 31 dropped Norris down to ninth and left him with a mountain to climb in the closing stages.

Antonelli reclaims his crown

With Norris out of the way, the stage was set for a straight fight between Leclerc and Antonelli. Leclerc complained of awkward gear shifts but managed to keep the charging Mercedes at bay for a handful of laps.

By Lap 34 Antonelli had closed the gap to under a second. Utilising the superior straight-line speed of his Mercedes in the Active Aero, the championship leader swooped past Leclerc at the end of the Kemmel Straight to reclaim the lead.

Kimi leads again!

Watch Antonelli make his move on Leclerc #F1 #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/1336ckjAEL

— Formula 1 (@F1) July 19, 2026

Once in clean air Antonelli set the fastest lap of the race and slowly edged away. Despite Leclerc’s best efforts to cling to his gearbox, the Ferrari driver simply did not have the pace to mount a counter-attack.

Further back Verstappen endured a quiet but effective afternoon to secure the final spot on the podium. Hamilton crossed the line in fourth but with a pending post-race investigation for an unsafe release in the pit lane hanging over his head. Oscar Piastri nursed a damaged McLaren to a commendable fifth place ahead of a brilliant drive from Isack Hadjar in the second Red Bull.

Final Race Results

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