Kimi Antonelli secured victory at the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday, July 19, 2026, marking his sixth win of the Formula One season. Driving for Mercedes, the 19-year-old Italian extended his championship lead to 45 points ahead of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton.

The race at Spa-Francorchamps saw a difficult start for Antonelli’s teammate and closest title rival, George Russell, who crashed out on the opening lap following a collision with Hamilton while attempting to recover positions lost at the start. Russell spun off into the gravel, ending his race early.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished second, trailing Antonelli by 1.952 seconds after leading earlier in the race and benefiting from a pit stop during a virtual safety car period. Max Verstappen secured third place, earning Red Bull their 300th Formula One podium.

Hamilton finished fourth despite a five-second penalty for the collision with Russell and remains under investigation for an unsafe pit stop release, which could demote him to fifth and further widen Antonelli’s lead.

Reigning champion Lando Norris finished seventh for McLaren after starting 13th due to a grid penalty.

Reflecting on his win, Antonelli said, “It’s great to be back on the top step after a few difficult rounds,” noting he had not won in two of the previous three races.

Sources