Antonelli beats Leclerc to win Belgian Grand Prix, Russell retires

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli strengthened his Formula 1 title challenge with victory at the Belgian Grand Prix, overcoming Charles Leclerc in the closing stages of the race after an eventful afternoon at Spa-Francorchamps. The result also proved crucial in the championship battle as teammate George Russell retired on the opening lap, allowing Antonelli to significantly increase his advantage.

Antonelli bounces back with sixth win

Starting from pole position, Antonelli initially lost the lead after a virtual safety car period helped Ferrari's Charles Leclerc gain track position during the pit-stop cycle. However, the 19-year-old regained control of the race by overtaking Leclerc with 10 laps remaining before comfortably pulling away to secure victory.

It marked Antonelli's sixth Formula 1 win and his sixth triumph of the season, ending a run of reliability setbacks that had reduced his championship advantage in recent races. His previous victory came at the Monaco Grand Prix.

After the race, Antonelli said: “The momentum has always been there despite what happened in the previous races, and that’s why you just need to take one weekend at a time, because you never know what can happen. With these new cars, new regs, there’s so much going on and so much unpredictable."

The victory also elevated Antonelli to joint second among Italy's most successful Formula 1 race winners with six Grand Prix victories, behind only Alberto Ascari, who won 13 races. Antonelli also dedicated the win to his father, former sports car racer Marco Antonelli, whose birthday fell on Saturday.

Championship battle swings further

Antonelli arrived in Belgium leading Russell by 25 points after reliability problems had eroded his earlier advantage. By the end of the weekend, the gap had grown to 45 points over Lewis Hamilton, who moved into second place in the standings, while Russell dropped to 50 points behind the championship leader.

Russell's race ended almost immediately after he became stranded in the gravel on the opening lap following contact with Hamilton. The Mercedes driver suggested a loss of straight-line speed from his car contributed to the incident, while Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff indicated a software issue had affected multiple Mercedes-powered cars.

Ferrari secures podium despite drama

Leclerc finished second after avoiding a penalty related to contact that damaged Oscar Piastri's McLaren earlier in the race. Max Verstappen completed the podium after briefly taking the lead during a busy opening lap before falling behind Antonelli.

Hamilton crossed the line in fourth despite receiving a five-second penalty for his collision with Russell. His race also included disagreements with Ferrari over team radio regarding strategy and car setup.

Another incident occurred in the Ferrari pit lane when Hamilton's car struck a mechanic while leaving the pit box. Hamilton immediately checked on the crew member's condition and was informed that the mechanic was unharmed. Following an investigation, the stewards ruled Hamilton was "in no respect at fault". Ferrari received a fine of 30,000 euros, with 10,000 euros suspended for one year.

Points finishers

Oscar Piastri finished fifth for McLaren, followed by Red Bull's Isack Hadjar in sixth after starting from the back of the grid due to a penalty.

Lando Norris recovered from 13th on the grid to finish seventh despite losing time during a delayed pit stop. Gabriel Bortoleto claimed eighth for Audi, Arvid Lindblad finished ninth for Racing Bulls, while Alpine's Fraznco Colapinto secured the final championship point in 10th.

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