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Antonelli Dominates Spa; Russell Crashes as Ferrari Experience Mixed Fortunes
Kimi Antonelli continued his winning streak at Spa-Francorchamps to extend his championship lead, while teammate George Russell crashed on the opening lap and Ferrari experienced a race of highs and lows.
By Lesley Bakker - 2026-07-19T19:19:52.000Z - 3 min read
Kimi Antonelli has further cemented his status as a title contender. The Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps brought him his sixth victory of the season, striking a major blow in the drivers' standings. While Antonelli pulled further clear in the championship, several other teams and drivers endured an event-filled afternoon. The Ardennes bore witness to both triumphs and setbacks, often within the exact same team.
Antonelli's victory felt almost inevitable. Even when a virtual safety car handed Ferrari a helping hand and briefly gave Charles Leclerc the lead, his win never seemed in jeopardy. He extended his lead in the drivers' championship to a solid 45 points. The young driver exudes comfort and appears to find lap times with remarkable ease—a stark contrast to his teammate.
George Russell, on the other hand, endured a day to forget quickly. Not only did he retire after an incident with Lewis Hamilton on the opening lap, but team principal Toto Wolff also pointed to a more complex issue. Wolff stated that Russell's considerable deficit to Antonelli was down to a 50% power unit issue and 50% driver error. Losing a potential 25 points to Antonelli, instead of the expected 7 to 13, highlighted the frustration.
For Ferrari, it was a race of two halves. Charles Leclerc put in a more than solid performance by finishing second. This result was all the more impressive considering Ferrari had anticipated a difficult race and Leclerc passed Max Verstappen for second place on the opening lap. Contact with Oscar Piastri was classified as a racing incident after investigation, allowing him to avoid a penalty and maximize his weekend.
On the other side of the Ferrari garage, Lewis Hamilton endured an unfortunate race. Despite eventually finishing fourth following a five-second penalty for the contact with Russell, Ferrari's race execution felt messy. A pit stop for hard tyres almost triggered a dangerous situation when Hamilton was given the green light to go while the front wing adjustment was still pending. This 'clumsy' mistake potentially cost a podium finish.
In the midfield, Isack Hadjar shone brightly. Despite starting from the back of the grid due to engine penalties, the Red Bull driver delivered an impressive sixth-place finish. His race pace matched that of the McLarens, and he contributed to the seven points Red Bull managed to gain on McLaren in the battle for third place in the constructors' championship.
Liam Lawson of Racing Bulls saw his promising start undone, complaining of a lack of speed. He was overtaken by Franco Colapinto, who pulled off a spectacular double overtake on Gasly and Lawson to claim tenth place for Alpine. Audi driver Gabriel Bortoleto also made his mark with an eighth-place finish, his second consecutive points finish, bringing in all ten points for Audi this season. Haas driver Esteban Ocon struggled with car balance and was involved in two contact incidents on the opening lap, complicating his race.
Spa-Francorchamps 2026 will go down in history as the race where Kimi Antonelli underlined his dominance. The drama behind him, ranging from spectacular overtakes to painful blunders, sets up a thrilling buildup to the next Grand Prix. The battle for podium places and in the midfield promises plenty of fireworks in the upcoming races.