Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix: Antonelli Faultless, Norris and Hadjar Produce Superb Comebacks, Russell Loses Big

Kimi Antonelli turned a difficult moment into another victory at Spa-Francorchamps. The 19-year-old Italian lost the lead when the Virtual Safety Car helped Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari move to the front, but he did not lose his composure. He fought back without making a mistake to claim his sixth win of the season.

Only the first free practice session had eluded Antonelli during the weekend. His performance looked effortless with the strongest car beneath him, but his teammate George Russell’s result showed how much Antonelli had achieved. Antonelli also increased his lead in the world championship after Russell’s retirement.

Lando Norris and Isack Hadjar delivered the weekend’s most striking recoveries. Norris started 13th after a 10-place penalty, while Hadjar began from 21st after a 30-place penalty. Both drivers showed strong pace throughout the race and benefited from effective team strategies.

Norris briefly led the race in his McLaren before finishing seventh. Hadjar’s recovery was even more impressive. The French Red Bull driver finished sixth, recording his sixth straight top-six result. He became the first French driver to achieve that feat since Alain Prost.

Gabriel Bortoleto quietly produced another solid performance for Audi. Starting eighth, the Brazilian finished in the same position and collected four valuable points for the team. He built momentum throughout the weekend and outshone teammate Nico Hülkenberg. Bortoleto remains Audi’s only points scorer this season, and the team moved to within one point of Williams in eighth place.

Russell’s weekend went the other way. After a difficult start, the Mercedes driver battled Oscar Piastri and Lewis Hamilton. Contact with his fellow Briton sent Russell into the gravel, and he later retired. He had hoped to close the gap to his teammate at Spa-Francorchamps, but instead lost significant ground.