Kimi Antonelli F1: Belgian Grand Prix win extends title lead as George Russell crashes out after first-lap drama
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The Belgian Grand Prix has proven to be one of the most dramatic races of the season, with changing race leaders, an opening lap clash involving George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, battles of strategy, penalties and new questions for Mercedes. Antonelli’s latest victory was also his first since winning the Monaco Grand Prix last month, ending a brief winless spell in style.
Charles Leclerc took the lead before Antonelli hit back
Starting from pole position, Kimi Antonelli looked set to control the Belgian Grand Prix from the front.
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However, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc briefly attracted attention when the Virtual Safety Car period helped him gain track position during the pit stop phase. The strategy allowed Leclerc to get ahead of the Mercedes driver and give control to Ferrari.
Antonelli refused to settle for second place. With 10 laps remaining, the Italian driver made a decisive move to pass Leclerc and immediately gained a comfortable advantage. Once in front, Antonelli never looked threatened and crossed the finish line comfortably, collecting another 25 important championship points.
Leclerc finished second, while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen completed the podium after briefly leading the race in the opening stages.
George Russell’s race ends after crash on opening lap
The most talked about topic of the Belgian Grand Prix came in the first round.
George Russell started third on the grid but lost position after struggling for speed in the straight. While the Mercedes driver was trying to fight, he started to fight with his former teammate Lewis Hamilton.
The two cars came into contact, causing Russell to fall into the gravel trap. His Mercedes was stranded, forcing the British driver to retire as soon as the Safety Car was activated. Hamilton continued the race but was later given a five-second penalty for the collision.
Although the incident appeared dramatic, Russell later insisted Hamilton was not entirely responsible.
“The incident with Lewis was a racing incident. He didn’t do it on purpose. He was more guilty than me, but he didn’t do anything carelessly.”
Russell points to Mercedes’ problems rather than Hamilton’s
Rather than blaming Hamilton, Russell suggested that this situation was caused by technical problems at Mercedes. The British driver explained that his car suddenly lost electrical power after the opening of the bend, leaving him defenseless before the crash.
“When it happens so often you get used to it,” he said.
Russell later explained what went wrong. “I had a great first corner and got stuck right behind (Red Bull’s Max) Verstappen, but for whatever reason the battery decided not to charge into Turn One,” he was quoted as telling Star Sports.
“So I came out of the first corner 35 per cent down and it wasn’t charging, I had a boost problem, the turbo didn’t recover on its own so there was no power and I went up to the top of Eau Rouge with 0 per cent battery and obviously it was dangerous.
“I got run over by three cars and I shouldn’t have been in this situation in the first place, so I’m very angry.”
The retirement marked Russell’s third non-points race of the season, allowing Antonelli to extend his advantage in the drivers’ championship.
Toto Wolff confirms Mercedes’ engine problem
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff admitted after the race that Russell’s complaints were genuine. According to Wolff, the problem was not limited to Russell’s car, but affected to varying degrees every Mercedes-powered engine, including Antonelli’s.
“This was a new problem, but it wasn’t just on George’s side. Instead, it affected all the Mercedes engines, some more, some less, and it also affected Kimi (Antonelli),” Wolff told Sky Sport Germany, suggesting that the cause was a software issue.
The Mercedes boss admitted that despite Antonelli’s victory, the team still has big things ahead of it.
“We have an incredibly powerful engine, a car that is fast but not stable enough, and we have to overcome that because we are losing valuable points in the constructors’ championship.”
Lewis Hamilton’s tough afternoons continue
Hamilton’s Belgian Grand Prix was far from simple. As well as receiving a five-second penalty for the clash with Russell, the Ferrari driver also endured many tense radio conversations with his team about strategy and car settings.
The seven-time world champion also accidentally hit a Ferrari mechanic as he left the pit lane.
Hamilton immediately checked the crew member’s condition and was informed that the mechanic was unharmed. However, race officials launched an investigation into a possible unsafe release following the incident.
Despite all the negativities, Hamilton managed to recover and finish fourth.
What does Kimi Antonelli’s Belgian Grand Prix victory mean?
Kimi Antonelli’s victory further strengthened his position at the top of the Formula 1 championship standings. With George Russell unable to score and Ferrari unable to turn their strategy into victory, the young Italian continues to gain momentum in what is already a breakthrough season.
His sixth career Formula 1 victory not only ended his wait since Monaco, but also underlined why many believe Antonelli has emerged as the driver to beat in this year’s championship race.
Heading into the next round of Formula 1, Mercedes leaves Belgium with mixed feelings; While celebrating another win thanks to Antonelli, he is also searching for answers after Russell’s costly retirement and technical problems disrupted the weekend.
(With input from institutions)
