Antonelli wins at Spa as Hamilton-Russell clash ends Russell’s race
Kimi Antonelli won the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa, with Charles Leclerc finishing as his main challenger, while George Russell retired on lap one after contact with Lewis Hamilton.
Monday
July 20, 2026
Race Weekend
Winners and losers from the Belgian Grand Prix
Antonelli’s Spa result was the headline, but the bigger verdict is who left the weekend strengthened or exposed, with Mercedes’ mixed showing and improved pace from key rivals shaping the quieter story.
Technical
Why drivers are losing time to their own power units at Spa
McLaren suspects Oscar Piastri’s gap to Lando Norris at Spa came largely from power-unit deployment and derating on the long straight, not from driving. Here’s why that matters beyond one lap.
Mercedes confirms Spa launch problem hit every Mercedes-powered car
Mercedes says George Russell’s Spa opening-corner issue was not isolated: every Mercedes-powered car suffered the same deployment problem, turning the Belgian GP start into a wider engine-operation concern.
Governance
Why Hamilton was penalised — and why Leclerc avoided one at Spa
Lewis Hamilton was penalised for his clash with George Russell, while Charles Leclerc avoided a penalty for his incident with Oscar Piastri. The Race’s reporting points to different thresholds being applied by the stewards at Spa.