Antonelli wins Belgian GP as Russell spins out after Hamilton clash

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 first lap.

Russell was spun into the gravel at the fifth corner after contact with Lewis Hamilton. Stewards judged the Ferrari driver at fault and handed him a five-second penalty, which he served during his only pit stop. Hamilton recovered to finish fourth, passing McLaren's Oscar Piastri with four laps remaining.

Ferrari fined over pit release

Hamilton and Ferrari were investigated after the race for an unsafe release at that same stop. A mechanic was struck by the car's front-right tyre and briefly knocked to his knees after Hamilton was given the signal to leave his box, though he was unhurt. Ferrari were fined €30,000, with a third of the amount suspended for 12 months.

How the race unfolded

Charles Leclerc finished second for Ferrari and Max Verstappen third for Red Bull, a result that marked the team's 300th podium in Formula 1. Verstappen briefly led Antonelli on the opening lap into Eau Rouge before the Mercedes moved back ahead, and he was later jumped by Leclerc during a Virtual Safety Car period. Antonelli had to overtake Leclerc on track after the timing of that VSC worked against him.

• Antonelli's sixth win of the year extends his lead over Hamilton to 45 points and over Russell to 50
• Leclerc second, Verstappen third after struggling on hard tyres in the final stint
• Hamilton served a five-second penalty for the first-lap collision with Russell
• Isack Hadjar drove from the back row to sixth in the second Red Bull, holding off Lando Norris
• Gabriel Bortoleto was eighth for Audi, ahead of Racing Bulls' Arvid Lindblad

Antonelli's advantage in the standings now stands at 45 points over Hamilton, who moves back ahead of Russell into second. The result reinforces the Italian's position at the top of the championship with one race remaining before the summer break.

The next round is the Hungarian Grand Prix this coming week, the final race before Formula 1's mid-season shutdown. Mercedes will also be assessing their reliability, having seen Antonelli's car hit by problems in two of the previous three events.