Antonelli wins Belgian GP as Russell's title challenge takes hit

Kimi Antonelli won the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, his sixth victory of the season, on a day when Mercedes team-mate George Russell was eliminated on the opening lap. The result leaves Antonelli 45 points clear of Lewis Hamilton and 50 ahead of Russell in the drivers' standings.

Charles Leclerc finished second for Ferrari, with Max Verstappen third for Red Bull after a race in which the Virtual Safety Car twice reshuffled the order. Antonelli had to pass Leclerc on track after losing time to an ill-timed VSC period, and went on to control the closing stint.

Russell out early, Hamilton penalised

Russell's race ended at the fifth corner of lap one, where contact with Hamilton sent him spinning into the gravel. Stewards found the Ferrari driver at fault and handed him a five-second penalty, which he took at his only pit stop before recovering to fourth, passing McLaren's Oscar Piastri with four laps remaining.

Hamilton's stop was also the subject of a post-race investigation into an unsafe release. A Ferrari mechanic was struck by the car's front-right tyre and briefly knocked to his knees after the driver was given the signal to leave his box; the team confirmed the mechanic was unhurt. Ferrari were fined €30,000, with a third of that amount suspended for 12 months.

Key points from Spa

• Antonelli takes his sixth win of the year and extends his championship lead to 45 points over Hamilton
• Russell retires on lap one after a first-corner collision with Hamilton, who is penalised five seconds
• Leclerc finishes second, Verstappen third — Red Bull's 300th podium in Formula 1
• Ferrari fined €30,000, a third suspended, over an unsafe release at Hamilton's pit stop
• Isack Hadjar comes from the back row to hold off Lando Norris for sixth

Verstappen briefly led Antonelli into Eau Rouge on the opening lap before the Mercedes moved back ahead, and the Dutchman later lost a place to Leclerc during the VSC. He struggled for pace on the hard tyres in the final stint and crossed the line nine seconds adrift of the Ferrari. Hadjar's sixth place came after he made two opportunistic stops under the early Safety Car, allowing him to complete the mandatory race-tyre requirements and defend against a charging Norris, who had started 13th after a grid penalty. Gabriel Bortoleto was eighth for Audi, with Racing Bulls' Arvid Lindblad ninth.

Formula 1 now heads to Hungary for the final round before the summer break, a race that could shape how the title fight looks when the season resumes. For Russell, who has seen a promising campaign eroded, Budapest offers an immediate chance to respond.