Antonelli wins Belgian Grand Prix as Verstappen takes third podium of season

First-lap drama

The race began with immediate fireworks. Max Verstappen, starting from second on the grid, launched well and overtook polesitter Kimi Antonelli into the iconic Eau Rouge corner. The lead was short-lived: on the long straight that follows, Antonelli and Charles Leclerc both used superior battery deployment to repass the Red Bull, dropping Verstappen to third. Moments later, the safety car was deployed after George Russell was spun into the gravel at turn six following contact with Lewis Hamilton. Russell retired on the spot, while Hamilton was handed a 5-second time penalty for causing the collision.

Verstappen's early charge

When racing resumed, Verstappen quickly reclaimed second place by overtaking Leclerc on lap 6. He then settled into a rhythm roughly 2.5 seconds behind leader Antonelli. The Dutchman managed to keep the two Ferraris at bay during the first stint, while behind him Oscar Piastri attempted to pass Leclerc but the two touched, leaving Piastri with minor damage and eventually losing position to Hamilton. Verstappen was the first of the front-runners to pit, switching from medium to hard tyres on lap 17 and rejoining in sixth place.

Virtual safety car reshuffles order

The pivotal moment arrived on lap 20 when a virtual safety car was triggered. Leclerc, Hamilton and Piastri all dived into the pits, gaining a significant time advantage because pit stops under VSC conditions cost far less track position. Leclerc emerged ahead of both Antonelli and Verstappen, while Hamilton served his penalty during his stop. Lando Norris, who had started on hard tyres and not yet pitted, briefly inherited the lead before Leclerc swept past him. Antonelli, now on fresh rubber, found himself stuck behind Norris for several laps, allowing Leclerc to build a gap of around three seconds.

Antonelli reclaims the lead

Once clear of Norris, Antonelli began hunting down Leclerc. The Mercedes driver closed rapidly and executed a straightforward overtake, exploiting a clear straight-line speed advantage. Verstappen, meanwhile, struggled for grip on the hard compound and radioed his team to complain about the handling. He was unable to match the pace of the two leaders and had to focus on defending against Hamilton, who had recovered to fourth after his penalty. In the closing laps, Antonelli controlled the gap to Leclerc and crossed the line to secure his sixth win of the season.

Championship picture

Verstappen's third place marked his third podium of the 2026 campaign, a welcome result after a mechanical failure cost him a top-three finish at Silverstone. Hamilton took fourth, ahead of Piastri in fifth. Franco Colapinto claimed the final point in tenth after a tight battle between Pierre Gasly and Liam Lawson. Antonelli's victory, combined with teammate Russell's retirement, extends his lead in the drivers' standings as the season moves toward its second half.