Formula 1: Antonelli Hunts Down Leclerc To Win Belgian GP

Formula 1: Antonelli hunts down Leclerc to win Belgian GP (Image Source: IANS)

Belgian Grand Prix: Kimi Antonelli passed Charles Leclerc to win the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday, extending his Formula 1 championship lead after Mercedes teammate George Russell retired on the opening lap.

Antonelli bounced back from two consecutive scoreless races to claim his sixth victory of the 2026 season. After leading the opening stint at Spa-Francorchamps, the Italian lost first place when Leclerc took advantage of a Virtual Safety Car deployment to leapfrog the Mercedes during the pit-stop cycle.

Antonelli steadily erased a three-second deficit before overtaking Leclerc into Les Combes on lap 34, and held on over the closing stages to secure the win.

The victory doubled Antonelli's championship lead over Russell from 25 points to 50 after the British driver was eliminated in a first-lap collision with Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton.

"It is great to be back on the top step after a few difficult rounds," Antonelli was quoted by Xinhua as saying. "It was a hard-fought race. We lost first place with a VSC, but then we managed to make our way back.

"It was a tough win because Charles was quick and we had to hold onto them.

"The momentum was always there. It was just about getting the result. We have to keep performing, bringing the results, and see what happens at the end of the year."

Leclerc finished second, while Red Bull's Max Verstappen completed the podium.

Antonelli started from pole position but briefly lost the lead to Verstappen on the run to Eau Rouge before reclaiming first place under braking for Les Combes.

Behind them, Russell's race ended almost immediately after contact with Hamilton sent the Mercedes into the gravel. Although both drivers described the clash as a racing incident, Hamilton received a five-second penalty for his involvement.

Antonelli led the opening stint before Mercedes pitted him at the end of lap 18. Ferrari kept Leclerc out for two more laps and benefited when a Virtual Safety Car was deployed for debris, allowing the Monegasque to make a cheaper pit stop and emerge ahead.

Norris, who had yet to stop after starting on hard tyres, briefly inherited the lead before Leclerc and Antonelli swept past. Antonelli quickly closed back onto Leclerc and made the decisive pass with 10 laps remaining.

Leclerc stayed within striking distance over the closing laps but could not mount a serious challenge as Antonelli secured a victory that further strengthened his title bid.

Hamilton finished fourth to provisionally move into second in the championship on 159 points, five ahead of Russell, although he was also under post-race investigation for an alleged unsafe release after making contact with a mechanic during his pit stop. The mechanic was uninjured.

McLaren's Oscar Piastri finished fifth, ahead of Red Bull's Isack Hadjar and Lando Norris in the second McLaren, who recovered from 13th on the grid after serving a 10-place penalty for exceeding power unit component allocations.

Hamilton finished fourth to provisionally move into second in the championship on 159 points, five ahead of Russell, although he was also under post-race investigation for an alleged unsafe release after making contact with a mechanic during his pit stop. The mechanic was uninjured.

Formula 1 heads next to the Hungarian Grand Prix on July 26.

Article Source: IANS