Kimi Antonelli strengthened his grip on the 2026 Formula One drivers’ championship

Image Credit: Reuters/F1.

Kimi Antonelli strengthened his grip on the 2026 Formula One drivers’ championship after claiming victory at the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, extending his lead to 45 points over Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton. The Mercedes driver now sits 50 points clear of teammate George Russell, who dropped to third in the standings after retiring on the opening lap. Starting from pole position, Antonelli made a strong getaway and eventually secured his sixth victory in 10 races this season. the Mercedes driver fought back and reclaimed the top spot with 10 laps remaining before taking the chequered flag Although Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc briefly took the lead by benefiting from a Virtual Safety Car pit stop. Leclerc finished second, just 1.952 seconds behind Antonelli, while Max Verstappen completed the podium in third, handing Red Bull its 300th Formula One podium finish. Ferrari was subsequently fined €30,000, with €10,000 of the amount suspended for one year. Meanwhile, Mercedes increased its lead over Ferrari in the constructors’ standings to 73 points.

Hamilton crossed the line in fourth after serving a five-second penalty for his opening-lap collision with Russell. The Ferrari driver was also investigated for an unsafe pit release that knocked over one of his mechanics, who escaped without injury. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri finished fifth, ahead of Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar, who climbed from the back of the grid to sixth. Lando Norris recovered from 13th on the grid to finish seventh despite losing time during a slow pit stop. Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto claimed eighth, Racing Bulls driver Arvid Lindblad finished ninth, while Alpine’s Franco Colapinto rounded out the points in 10th.

With one race remaining before the summer break, Antonelli heads to Hungary with a commanding advantage in the championship.