Antonelli takes Belgian GP win as Russell crashes out of title fight

Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli claimed victory at Spa on Sunday, stretching his drivers' championship lead after team-mate George Russell was eliminated in a race-ending crash.

Kimi Antonelli won the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps on Sunday, July 19, 2026.
The victory extended Antonelli's lead at the top of the Formula 1 drivers' championship standings.
George Russell, Antonelli's Mercedes team-mate, crashed out of the race and scored no points.
The result marks a significant swing in the championship picture with both Mercedes drivers involved.

Kimi Antonelli won the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps on Sunday, giving Mercedes a dominant result undermined only by team-mate George Russell's race-ending crash.

Antonelli's victory re-established a comfortable margin at the top of the Formula 1 drivers' championship, according to results confirmed by the Wail from the official race classification.

Russell retired from the race after a crash, handing Antonelli the kind of points gap that will be difficult to close as the season enters its second half.

The result compounds what has been a turbulent weekend for Russell, who arrived at Spa with championship ambitions of his own.

Antonelli, widely regarded as one of the most promising young drivers in the sport, has now won in Belgium in what sources close to the paddock told the Wail was a controlled and composed performance throughout.

The Formula 1 calendar resumes with the next round scheduled in the coming weeks; confirmation of the next race date and venue is expected from the FIA shortly.