Kimi Antonelli Wins at Spa as Title Rivals Falter

Kimi Antonelli won the Belgian Grand Prix after hunting down and passing Charles Leclerc, while also capitalising on difficult races for his two closest Formula 1 title rivals.

The Mercedes driver temporarily lost the lead when a virtual safety car period allowed Leclerc to make a cheaper pit stop. Antonelli then maintained his pace, closed the gap to the Ferrari driver and took the chequered flag with a 1.9-second advantage.

“It’s great to be back on the top step after a few difficult rounds. It was a hard-fought race. We lost first place with the VSC, but then we managed to make our way back,” Antonelli said.

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The result marked his first victory since the Monaco Grand Prix and the sixth win of his Formula 1 career. Antonelli said the battle with Charles Leclerc had been difficult because the Ferrari driver possessed enough pace to maintain pressure until the closing phase.

The Spa result also had a major impact on the standings. Antonelli extended his advantage to at least 45 points over Lewis Hamilton, while George Russell sits 50 points behind after retiring following first-lap contact.

Hamilton crossed the line in fourth place but remains under post-race investigation over an alleged unsafe release. A penalty could drop him behind Oscar Piastri, who completed the race in fifth.

Antonelli acknowledged that the way the race unfolded benefited his championship position. However, he insisted that his momentum had never completely disappeared despite suffering two reliability problems in Barcelona and at Silverstone.

“Today we were a bit lucky with what happened in terms of the championship. That’s why you have to take every opportunity, because the situation can swing very easily. We just have to keep performing and bringing the results,” Antonelli said ahead of the next Formula 1 round.