Kimi Antonelli strengthened his grip on the 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship with a hard-fought victory at the Belgian Grand Prix, overtaking Charles Leclerc in the closing stages at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps to claim his sixth win of the season. The Mercedes driver crossed the line 1.952 seconds ahead of Leclerc after 44 laps, with Max Verstappen completing the podium for Red Bull.
Antonelli started from pole position and held the lead at the start, but Verstappen immediately challenged, powering alongside through Eau Rouge to briefly seize first place. The Red Bull driver overused his energy in the process, however, and Antonelli reclaimed the lead on the run to Les Combes. Behind them, Leclerc moved into third as George Russell lost momentum, then stole second when Verstappen was forced to hold his line after being re-passed by Antonelli.
Russell’s race ended moments later following contact with Lewis Hamilton at Les Combes, sending the Mercedes into the gravel and triggering an early Safety Car. Several drivers pitted during the caution period, and Antonelli controlled the restart at the start of Lap 5 ahead of Leclerc and Verstappen.
The complexion of the race shifted during the pit-stop phase. Verstappen stopped on Lap 18, with Antonelli following shortly after to cover the strategic threat. A subsequent Virtual Safety Car gave Ferrari a crucial advantage, as both Leclerc and Hamilton pitted at reduced time loss. Leclerc emerged ahead of Antonelli and took the effective lead. Lando Norris, running an alternative strategy on the Hard compound, held the front temporarily before both Leclerc and Antonelli cleared the McLaren.
Antonelli then began closing rapidly on Leclerc, cutting through the gap in the middle sector. With 10 laps remaining, he completed the decisive overtake on the approach to Les Combes and retook the lead. Leclerc kept the pressure on, reducing the margin to less than a second at points, but Antonelli managed his tyres and energy deployment effectively to secure the win.
“It’s great to be back on the top step after a few difficult rounds,” Antonelli said. “We lost first place with the Virtual Safety Car, but we managed to fight our way back. Charles was quick, so it was a tough win.”
Hamilton finished fourth for Ferrari despite serving a five-second penalty, passing Oscar Piastri who took fifth for McLaren. Isack Hadjar delivered a remarkable drive from 21st on the grid to sixth for Red Bull, aided by clever strategy, and held off Norris at the finish. Gabriel Bortoleto secured eighth for Audi, Arvid Lindblad took ninth for Racing Bulls, and Franco Colapinto completed the points-paying positions for Alpine after winning a close battle involving Pierre Gasly and Liam Lawson.