Antonelli Wins Belgian GP, Extends Title Lead After Russell Crash
10 verified5 unconfirmed
Kimi Antonelli won the Belgian Grand Prix on July 19, 2026, his sixth victory of the season, extending his championship lead after teammate George Russell retired on the first lap. Russell was taken out in a collision with Lewis Hamilton, who received a five-second penalty for the incident. Antonelli overcame a virtual safety car period that allowed Charles Leclerc to briefly take the lead, but he passed the Ferrari driver on lap 34 to reclaim the win. Leclerc finished second, Max Verstappen third, and Hamilton recovered to fourth. Antonelli now leads Russell by 50 points in the championship with one race before the summer break. Ferrari was fined €30,000, with €10,000 suspended, for an unsafe pit release involving Hamilton, who struck a mechanic with his front-right tyre. Russell blamed a power issue with his Mercedes for leaving him vulnerable to the collision, a problem team boss Toto Wolff said affected all cars using Mercedes engines.
What’s verified
Kimi Antonelli won the Belgian Grand Prix, his sixth win of the 2026 season.
George Russell retired on the first lap after a collision with Lewis Hamilton.
Lewis Hamilton received a five-second penalty for causing the collision.
Charles Leclerc finished second and Max Verstappen third.
Antonelli’s championship lead over Russell is 50 points.
A virtual safety car period allowed Leclerc to gain track position with a cheap pit stop.
Antonelli passed Leclerc for the lead on lap 34.
Ferrari was fined €30,000, with €10,000 suspended, for an unsafe pit release after Hamilton hit a mechanic.
The top 10 finishers were: Antonelli, Leclerc, Verstappen, Hamilton, Oscar Piastri, Isack Hadjar, Lando Norris, Gabriel Bortoleto, Arvid Lindblad, Franco Colapinto.
Russell stated a power issue with his Mercedes left him vulnerable to the collision.
Not yet confirmed
One report stated Antonelli’s championship lead over Hamilton is 45 points, with Hamilton second and five points ahead of Russell.
One report noted Antonelli’s previous win was at Monaco in early June.
One report said Norris started on hard tyres due to a grid penalty.
One report included an analysis by Karun Chandhok on whether Hamilton’s penalty was fair.
One report quoted Toto Wolff saying all Mercedes engines lacked power on straights and that Mercedes supplies engines to McLaren, Alpine, and Williams.
Key figures
Kimi Antonelli, George Russell, Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen, Toto Wolff, Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, Isack Hadjar, Gabriel Bortoleto, Arvid Lindblad, Franco Colapinto, Karun Chandhok
Sources: BBC News, Sky Sports
