Antonelli wins Belgian GP as Russell crashes out amid Mercedes power gap

Kimi Antonelli won the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday at Spa-Francorchamps, extending his Formula One championship lead to 50 points over Mercedes teammate George Russell, who retired on the opening lap after a collision with Lewis Hamilton.

Antonelli, 19, started from pole position — his sixth of the season — after a dominant qualifying lap. During the race, he lost the lead during a virtual safety car period but regained it by passing Ferrari's Charles Leclerc on lap 34. He held on to finish just under two seconds ahead, securing his sixth win in ten races this season. Red Bull's Max Verstappen finished third.

Russell's race ended on lap one at the Les Combes chicane. After losing positions on the Kemmel straight, he attempted to pass Hamilton around the outside when Hamilton's Ferrari, suffering from reduced front-end grip, clipped Russell's rear wheel, sending him into the gravel trap. Hamilton received a five-second time penalty for causing the collision.

Russell attributed the incident primarily to a lack of straight-line speed from his Mercedes, which he said left him vulnerable. He has complained about inconsistent electrical energy deployment since the Austrian Grand Prix. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff acknowledged the problem, stating, "We had an issue on all Mercedes engines that we lacked the power out on the straights. That bit him badly and it goes 100% on us." Wolff added that half of Russell's difficulties were attributable to the power unit and half possibly to driving.

Russell entered the weekend 25 points behind Antonelli after winning in Austria and finishing second at the British Grand Prix. The Belgian result drops him to third in the standings, 50 points behind Antonelli and five behind Hamilton, who now sits second.