Antonelli Wins Belgian GP After Late Pass on Leclerc
NXTbets Pro | Published On: July 19, 2026
Antonelli wins Belgian GP
Kimi Antonelli won the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps after passing Charles Leclerc in the closing stages, and he did it by 1.952 seconds. The victory was his sixth Formula One win of the 2026 season and it stretched his championship lead. Antonelli had already set the weekend’s pace by taking pole with a 1:44.361 lap, then turned that edge into the race win. He beat Max Verstappen by 0.317 seconds in qualifying and gave himself the best possible starting spot for the grand prix. The pole lap stood as the clearest early signal of the form he carried through the event. Antonelli’s speed in qualifying forced the rest of the field to chase him, and he kept that advantage when it mattered most. Leclerc stayed close enough to make the finish interesting, but Antonelli found the pass late and then pulled clear before the flag. That left him with another big result at Spa and a stronger grip on the title race.
Verstappen qualifies second
Max Verstappen lined up second after Red Bull used Isack Hadjar’s slipstream to help him qualify. Verstappen said the tow was worth about three tenths of a second, and he said, “I gave it everything I had.” Red Bull also ran him with an older rear wing after an upgraded part had caused crashes in Austria and Great Britain. The team chose the safer route on the car and still got Verstappen onto the front row. That gave Red Bull a real chance to work the race from the start, even with Antonelli on pole. Verstappen briefly led the Belgian Grand Prix, so the plan had enough pace to put him at the front for a spell. He then pitted early for fresh tires and missed the chance to gain time during a brief Virtual Safety Car while gravel was being cleared. Verstappen said Red Bull were unlucky because the caution came at the wrong time for the strategy. He still finished third for Red Bull and called the podium a very good result. The race reward was solid, but the loss of track position during the Safety Car window kept him from pressing Antonelli harder for the win.
Belgian GP order
Lewis Hamilton finished fourth after receiving a five-second penalty for a first-lap collision with George Russell. Russell’s race ended on lap one after the contact, and that early exit reshaped the fight behind the leaders. Oscar Piastri finished fifth, while Isack Hadjar climbed from 21st on the grid to finish sixth. Lando Norris took seventh after using an alternative strategy. Hadjar’s climb stood out because Red Bull had already used his slipstream to help Verstappen in qualifying, and he still recovered from a deep starting spot to score solid points. Norris also had to work through the race on a different plan, and that left him seventh by the finish. The lower half of the points looked scrambled from the opening lap onward. Hamilton’s penalty pushed him back after the first-corner clash, Russell was out immediately and the strategy calls spread the rest of the top seven into different lanes. Antonelli’s win sat above all of it. He took pole, passed Leclerc when it counted and left Spa with another victory and a larger championship lead.
