Mercedes teenager Kimi Antonelli has won the Belgian GP in a race filled with penalties, collisions and safety cars.
Today’s victory elevates the 19-year-old championship lead and marks his sixth grand prix win.
“It’s great to be back on the top stop after a few difficult rounds. It was a hard-fought race,” Antonelli said in a post-race interview.
The opening lap descended into chaos with an early retirement from George Russell following a collision with lewis Hamilton. The Ferrari driver tapped the rear of Russell’s car at the Les Combes corner, sending his former teammate into the gravel.
Kimi Antonelli has won the Belgian GPAP Photo/Omar Havana
“Maybe I could have gone wider, maybe he [Hamilton] could have braked a bit more. I have no words at the moment,” Russell said in a post-race interview.
Today’s result is devastating for Russell who falls further behind his teammate and championship rival Antonelli.
The crash briefly opened the race up for Oscar Piastri who found himself in P4 and podium contention. However, the Australian and Leclerc made contact several laps later, with Piastri sustaining floor damage.
He persevered to finish in fifth, but could be elevated to fourth, since Hamilton is under investigation.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished in second with Max Verstappen in third.