Kimi Antonelli returned to the top step of the podium with a hard-fought victory at the Belgian Grand Prix, overcoming Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in a thrilling battle for the win.
Max Verstappen briefly snatched the lead at the start after an excellent launch, but Antonelli quickly reclaimed the position. The Mercedes driver later lost the lead to Leclerc during the Virtual Safety Car pit-stop cycle, only to hunt the Ferrari back down and retake the lead with 10 laps remaining. From there, he controlled the closing stages to secure his sixth victory of the 2026 season and his first since Monaco.
The result could prove crucial in the championship fight. George Russell retired on the opening lap after contact with Lewis Hamilton, who received a five-second penalty for the incident before recovering to finish fourth. Leclerc crossed the line in second, Verstappen completed the podium, and Oscar Piastri rounded out the top five.
Several drivers faced an uphill battle before the race had even begun, with Fernando Alonso, Carlos Sainz, Lance Stroll, Isack Hadjar, and Lando Norris all taking grid penalties for exceeding their permitted power unit allocation.
Norris was perhaps the most disappointed. After qualifying third, the McLaren driver was relegated to 13th on the grid and admitted before the race that a top-six finish was his target. He ultimately finished seventh, while Hadjar produced one of the most impressive drives of the day by charging from the back of the grid to sixth. Gabriel Bortoleto, Arvid Lindblad, and Franco Colapinto completed the top 10.
For Antonelli, though, the afternoon belonged to him. After several difficult weekends, the young Italian delivered when it mattered most, extending his championship lead with a composed and mature drive at one of Formula 1’s most demanding circuits. He remains first in the championship with an impressive 204 points.