George Russell’s Belgian GP came to an abrupt end on the opening lap after contact with Lewis Hamilton at Les Combes sent the Mercedes driver spinning into the gravel. Unable to continue, Russell became the race’s first retirement, while the incident brought out the Safety Car and immediately shook up the Grand Prix.
The Safety Car presented an early strategic opportunity, with several drivers diving into the pits for fresh tyres. At the front, however, race leaders Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen opted to stay out, maintaining their positions and setting up the battle that would eventually decide the race.
The stewards deemed Hamilton responsible for the collision, handing the Ferrari driver a five-second time penalty. Despite the setback, Hamilton recovered well to finish fourth, but the consequences for Russell were far more significant. Another pointless weekend is the last thing the Briton needed in what has already been a frustrating and inconsistent campaign.
Russell arrived at Spa hoping to close the gap in the Drivers’ Championship, but instead watched teammate Kimi Antonelli strengthen his advantage at the top of the standings. Antonelli now leads the championship with 204 points, while Hamilton’s fourth-place finish moves him into second on 159. Russell slips to third on 154 points, leaving Spa having lost valuable ground in the title fight.