Antonelli returned to winning at the 2026 Belgian GP

Kimi Antonelli returned to winning after a several-week break and was the best in the 2026 Belgian GP. The race at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit was largely decided on the first lap and halfway through the distance due to a virtual safety car.

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The 2026 Belgian GP race initially took place under cloudy skies, but later it cleared up. There was a threat of light rain, but in the end, it probably did not come to the track at all. The track temperature rose from an initial 28 degrees to 33 degrees Celsius in the second half of the race. At the start of the competition, we had a full safety car due to the need to remove Russell’s car, and during the distance, two virtual safety cars due to debris cleanup.

Results of the 2026 Belgian GP race

Start of the 2026 Belgian GP race and general impression of the race

Key events for the course of the race took place at the start. There were several position changes and direct battles at the front. The biggest victim was George Russell, who had a problem with the power of his power unit, was overtaken by several rivals, and when he wanted to regain position and overtake Hamilton, contact occurred between them. Russell got stuck in the gravel, and Hamilton later received a 5-second penalty. This crash will be very costly for Russell as he lost many points to his rivals in the overall standings. I disagree with the penalty for Hamilton because it was the first lap, collisions in this place often happen, and Lewis did not make any deliberate car move that, in my opinion, would justify the penalty. In my opinion, the judges decided that if one driver was out of the race, the other had to be punished.

For me, this was the least interesting F1 race of the season. On the one hand, we had a balanced front and some battles between drivers, but I did not feel any great emotions; all fights ultimately ended as expected. The Spa-Francorchamps circuit is very popular, but in recent years F1 races there have been boring. In past seasons, this was compensated by excellent ground effect cars that achieved record lap times at this venue. Driving through the fast corners of this track was very spectacular. In the new technical regulations, this is probably the worst circuit for both cars and engines, which was visible throughout the weekend. The layout of this track and especially its long lap work very poorly (energy recovery limits were the same as on shorter tracks, so energy was chronically lacking). The next tracks, Hungaroring and Zandvoort, will be a different world; this year’s cars and engines will perform very well there.

Discussion of the drivers who finished on the podium

Kimi Antonelli won the race from Pole Position but had to work hard because his entire plan was spoiled by the virtual safety car. Antonelli was overtaken by Verstappen at the start but immediately regained the position. During the race distance, he built his advantage but very slowly over the next drivers. Before the pit stops, he had only just over two seconds advantage over second-placed Verstappen. The Dutchman made his only pit stop quite quickly, forcing a reaction from Antonelli to maintain the lead. Two laps later, a virtual safety car appeared, and the rest of the front runners changed tires, saving about 6-8 seconds. Leclerc found himself ahead of Antonelli, as did Norris, who was on the opposite strategy. Antonelli caught and overtook Leclerc in the second half of the race, but it was not easy because he had about 0.2 to 0.3 seconds advantage per lap. On the straight, the Ferrari driver had no chance because the Mercedes advantage was greater there, so the overtaking maneuver was just a formality.

Charles Leclerc can be very pleased with second place and the fight for victory. In the first phase of the race, he overtook Verstappen but only for a few laps. He was in third position and it seemed he would finish there, but thanks to the long VSC at the right moment, he saved a few seconds and led for ten laps. Ultimately, he had no chance in the duel with Antonelli, but the small gap Ferrari had in race pace to Mercedes on this track, where the engine plays the main role, is very promising.

Max Verstappen was disadvantaged by the VSC because he lost second place due to it. The Dutchman overtook Leclerc in the first phase of the race and was able to keep him behind at a small but safe distance. Second place seemed certain then. In the second half of the race on hard tires, Verstappen was a bit slower than Leclerc but easily brought home third place with a margin over rivals.

Discussion of other front runners and the potential of their teams

Lewis Hamilton finished fourth, who may feel unsatisfied because there was real potential for a podium here considering his pace. Everything was decided on the first lap when he hit Russell. He then significantly damaged the car (front wing and side section), was overtaken by Piastri, and later received a five-second penalty. During the pit stop, while serving the penalty, he hit a mechanic who clumsily tried to adjust the front wing settings. He lost additional time then and drove to the end without wing changes. Hamilton neutralized the five-second penalty and the time lost hitting the mechanic by changing tires during the VSC. His race pace, despite car damage, was very similar to Leclerc’s. At the end, he overtook Piastri and chased Verstappen. Hamilton’s time loss at the finish is exaggerated because he eased off in the last two laps.

I am very positively surprised by Ferrari. I expected that on this track, where the engine matters most, they would not be on the podium; I would not have been surprised if they were even the fourth force. Both drivers drove very competitive pace, which bodes well for the next two tracks, which are twisty and will suit them better.

Oscar Piastri took fifth place, initially in the podium fight but realistically fell out due to a minor collision with Leclerc. The team reported that due to floor damage, he lost 0.2 to 0.3 seconds per lap. Piastri had very competitive pace at times, but the damage must have caused greater tire degradation, which is why Hamilton beat him at the end.

Isack Hadjar drove excellently, starting from the back of the grid and quickly breaking into the front, finishing sixth. The Frenchman was sometimes faster than Verstappen. Red Bull played tactically smartly because Hadjar made two pit stops during the early neutralization and planned to run almost the entire distance on one set of hard tires. However, he changed them again during the VSC. Starting from the back, sixth place was the maximum.

Red Bull showed considerable potential in Belgium despite abandoning the macarena-type rear wing, so theoretically, with it, the pace could have been slightly better. On the other hand, this is not potential good enough to secure a podium with pure pace. Verstappen and Hadjar used 100% of their potential and chances by exploiting rivals’ problems. Red Bull was realistically the third force in this race, on the same level as McLaren.

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Lando Norris started from 13th on hard tires, had really great pace, and for a while, it seemed he would fight for the lowest podium step. However, Norris lost a lot when his rivals made pit stops during the VSC, saving a few seconds. Additionally, there was a problem with a tire during his pit stop, and he lost five seconds. At the end of the race, he was the fastest on the track thanks to intermediate tires but could not catch Hadjar. Norris was seventh at the finish.

McLaren drivers unnecessarily fought each other on the track, had different strategies, and these position changes cost both valuable time. After the race, the team stated they could have called both drivers for tire changes during the VSC, as that would have been better for Norris. McLaren was reasonably competitive in Belgium but not enough to realistically think about fighting for victory with pure pace. The team is now waiting for the Hungarian GP, where key car upgrades are expected.

Discussion of other significant results

Gabriel Bortoleto took eighth place, gaining a lot by making a pit stop during the VSC, which allowed him to realistically gain three positions. Importantly, the Brazilian had good enough pace not to be caught and fought solid points for Audi.

Racing Bulls definitely did not use their potential. After the start, Lawson was sixth and Lindblad seventh. Later, their pace was somewhat weaker, they made pit stops before the VSC, costing them a few seconds, and the drivers also fought each other, which also affected the final results. Ultimately, Lindblad was ninth, and Lawson was still involved in various battles.

Franco Colapinto was the winner of very intense battles in the midfield for the last points-paying position. There was a lot happening in this part of the field, including Gasly, Lawson, and Hulkenberg.

In Belgium, we had five groups of teams. At the top, four teams, then Racing Bulls, Alpine and Audi, followed by Haas with Williams, and at the back Cadillac and even further Aston Martin.

Current overall standings after the Belgian GP can be found here. Antonelli clearly increased his lead.

Summary

This was not a race that will be remembered for a long time. Only Russell’s crash may be remembered longer if it affects the final overall classification of this season.

Next week will be the Hungarian GP on a completely different track, where the balance of power should change. Important upgrade packages are expected from McLaren and Aston Martin. There are also some unofficial suggestions that Mercedes will have something more important, as they have fallen far behind in car upgrades compared to rivals at the front. I am not afraid to write a week in advance that Ferrari has a chance to fight for victory at Hungaroring both in qualifying and the race.

P.S. I really did not like the TV production, which focused only on the leading drivers. There were many battles in the second half of the field, which were shown in a small window. This is not the first time this year that the broadcaster seems to have a plan to focus only on the front of the field. It is hard for me to discuss the competition for further positions accurately if I did not see it.

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