Kimi Antonelli has taken back the Championship momentum winning the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix and extending his Championship lead as his team mate and rival ends his race on lap one in the gravel. Talking of braking, our Belgian Grand Prix Result Summary does its best to keep up with all the major overtaking during the race, plus follows all the other action for you.
This 2026 Belgian Grand Prix Result, Laps that Matter summary, Review & Ratings gives you just enough to catch up with. With just a hint of cynicism, bias, opinion and colour. The perfect bite sized review for those who couldn’t be bothered watching live in the parts of the planet where it’s night time, or don’t have enough time regardless of time zone.
Belgian Grand Prix Result Race Summary
Didn’t see the race live? Don’t have time to watch the whole race? Here’s where we capture the laps where stuff happened. We write these live as we go, sort of like a minute by minute for the football, but marginally more interesting.
Setting the scene – QUALIFYING
Qualifying is becoming a genuine contest, with any of the big four teams able to get pole. Well, not Isack Hadjar – he has to start at the back of the grid due to penalties, and was used as a Max Verstappen wind break during qualifying, which worked as the Dutchman dragged his Red Bull up to 2nd on the grid. Well not Lando Norris, who was quick but had a ten place grid penalty as well. Not Oscar Piastri for pole as he looks a little bit off the pace this year unlike his winning effort last season. Not George Russell, who while fast is getting thrashed in every session by Kimi Antonelli this weekend. The Ferraris are evenly matched, but not good enough for pole position. Super effort from Arvid Lidnblad, who not only lines up 7th on the grid, but was a cat among pigeons throughout the Qualifying session.
GRID AFTER Q3 – ANT VER RUS LEC HAM PIA LIN BOR LAW GAS
Setting the scene – RACEDAY
No rain, not just yet, but it could be coming. It is Spa after all and the name kind of suggests it.
Tactics-wise Lando Norris is starting on the hard tyre in 12th place on the grid after taking a 10 place penalty for car changes. Isack Hadjar too is at the back of the grid for the same reason with the same tyre.
Lap 1 – Kimi Antonelli gets away good enough to begin with and takes the lead into the first corner La Source, but a few hundred metres later the Red Bull of Max Verstappen sweeps by going into the mega fast Eau Rouge. But Antonelli isn’t done yet and pulls alongside Verstappen up the inside and takes the lead back into Les Combes, and the Red Bull loses another place to a Ferrari flying past on the outside of Charles Leclerc. A few metres later George Russell is off into the gravel, likely caused by the other Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton in a nice all-British sandwich. The luckless Esteban Ocon is travelling slowly with a puncture, although stuff does happen more when you qualify like sh!t. The rest of the field jostle for position without too much incident, that we know of.
SAFETY CAR DEPLOYED
The Safety Car is called upon as George Russell’s Mercedes remains beached. A lot of the bottom half cars dive into the pits, lots of them looking for the hard tyre to go non-stop from here. Not Hadjar who already had the hard tyres on, his medium ain’t going to make the rest of the race. Neither is the medium as Hadjar pits again for more hard tyres.
Replays of the start shows the Russell-Hamilton incident looks a genuine 50-50, perhaps leaning towards Russell who looks like he has a small moment just before contact. One thing from the replays is how awesome the power of the Ferrari was down the long straight, as Leclerc sailed past Russell and Verstappen, and Hamilton looked equally fast. It did look Mario Kart kind of boost. Piastri too looked quick down the straight and did well not to be a part of the Russell-Hamilton clash.
ORDER – ANT LEC VER PIA HAM LAW LIN COL BOR NOR
SAFETY CAR LEAVES
Lap 5 – Lewis Hamilton wastes no time in getting past Oscar Piastri as he dives past into the first corner, but Oscar Piastri isn’t putting up with that rubbish and sweeps past just before the fast Eau Rouge sweeper in a super move, and has enough battery to stay fourth down the straight. No other trouble as the field spreads out a little.
ORDER – ANT LEC VER PIA HAM LAW LIN COL NOR BOR
Lap 6 – Max Verstappen gets on the power and battery and slides past Charles Leclerc down the straight after Eau Rouge to take second.
Lap 8 – Oscar Piastri almost makes it past Charles Leclerc into the Bus Stop chicane but stays on the Ferrari tail. The McLaren pulls alongside the Ferrari down the straight and as they approach the overtaking spot just millimetres apart the two cars touch. A little puff of smoke and something flying in the air, but both car continue as is, although Piastri loses momentum to Hamilton behind. Piastri complains about being given no room and he has an argument too about a potential big crash as they are over 300 km/h going into the corner.
Lap 9 – Lewis Hamilton overtakes Oscar Piastri at the same place as the clash with Leclerc the lap before. Piastri may have lost some aero in the clash. Which is confirmed via radio a few laps later. More luck for Lando Norris who is picking off the upper midfield cars and up to 7th.
Lap 10 – Lewis Hamilton receives a 5 second penalty for the clash with George Russell. He’ll likely take that with his first pit stop.
ORDER: ANT VER LEC HAM PIA LIN NOR LAW COL GAS
Lap 12 – Charles Leclerc under investigation now for the Oscar Piastri incident – the McLaren driver also under investigation – which could end up with a double penalty for both Ferrari cars. Maybe it has fired them up as the two Ferraris race and argue over third place for a couple of laps. Often just an inch apart and less. Leclerc almost pushing Hamilton off the track at 300km/h+.
Lap 15 – Just when the race was getting a little dull, the midfield cars pit for tyres. Not really that much more eciting but something to report on anyway. One point of interest is the pitstops have seen Isack Hadjar is now up to 10th, and after his two pit stops earlier in the race is the first of the car to not need to pit again. He is only 22 seconds behind Antonelli, so may have dragged himself into the sharper end of the field when the big teams pit for new tyres.
Lap 17 – No further action out of the Leclerc-Piastri incident.
Lap 18 – Max Verstappen pits for new tyres from second, he rejoins 6th, just in front of Isack Hadjar.
VIRTUAL SAFETY DECLARED AND ENDS QUICKLY
Marshalls were on track to clear debris but must have done it quickly. Enough inconvenience to bring out the VSC and ruins all kinds of strategy.
Lap 19 – Kimi Antonelli pits and he has done enough to stay ahead of Verstappen after the stop. Further back Lando Norris has caught Oscar Piastri and eventually is let past by Piastri or simply takes the position from the Australian with ease. Surprisingly, Piastri re-takes the position half a lap later.
VIRTUAL SAFETY CAR DECLARED AGAIN
Marshalls on the track again. That will annoy Lando Norris who was looking to retake Piastri. Meanwhile Ferrari call both cars in for pit stops. Lewis Hamilton takes his five second penalty but loses a position to Oscar Piastri who also pit. His team mate Lando Norris is now the race leader but is yet to stop. Replays show drama at the Ferrari pit stop, Hamilton gets the green light to go before all the mechanics have cleared off. Bonus for Ferrari as Charles Leclerc gets out of the pits in front of Antonelli and Verstappen.
VIRTUAL SAFETY CAR ENDS
ORDER: NOR LEC ANT VER PIA HAM HAD BOR LIN LAW
Lap 23 – Charles Leclerc eases past Lando Norris for the lead of the race after a lap or so chasing the McLaren tail. Lando is yet to pit after starting from 12th on the hard tyres. When he pits he’ll be one of three cars not on hard tyres (as he has to use a different compound), along with the Aston Martins, who are probably doing a glorified testing session. They have been genuinely slow this weekend. Considerably worse than Cadillac, which is appalling really.
Lap 25 – Kimi Antonelli is looking to get past Norris now, but the McLaren is holding him off well for now. Further back Oscar Paistri is closing in on Max Verstappen who is dropping off the back of Antonelli.
Lap 26 – Antonelli breezes by Norris in the favoured overtaking spot and sets about chasing Leclerc who has used the time since passing Norris to open up a nice gap.
Lap 29 – Max Verstappen is right on Lando Norris’ tail as Lap 29 begins and the Red Bull gets past into the usual passing spot. Norris fights back for a couple of corners but his tyres are old and is no chance. Oscar Piastri now has to try and get past his team mate, who may feel like begin as difficult as Piastri was to him earlier. Although McLaren tell Norris over the radio not to go “Yo Yo Racing” with Piastri. Radio said they’ll explain later. I’m sure they will. Norris pits at the end of lap 31. With fresh tyres that are softer, he might have some fun in the later laps. Although a slow pitstop sees him drop behind Bortoleto.
ORDER: LEC ANT VER PIA HAM HAD BOR NOR LIN COL
Lap 32 – Lando Norris passes Gabriel Bortoleto in the usual place for such a thing. He’s up to 7th now. Further ahead Kimi Antonelli has closed to within a second of Charles Leclerc for the lead of the Belgian GP.
Lap 34 – Kimi Antonelli takes the lead from Charles Leclerc with an ease that should worry the rest of the grid. The move sees his re-takes first and extend the live lead of the Championship to almost 50 points heading into the Summer Break.
Lap 36 – Charles Leclerc isn’t giving up on the win just yet, staying within a second still. Who knows with battery saving when the Ferrari will come up with a sneak attack on the Mercedes.
Lap 37 – Late race potential moves – Lewis Hamitlon is catching Oscar Piastri for fourth, Lando Norris is setting fastest laps trying to catch Isack Hadjar’s Red Bull in 6th, who is on the same sets of tyres since about lap 3. And there’s a decent train battling over the final point in 10th between two Alpines, Liam Lawson and The Hulk.
ORDER: ANT LEC VER PIA HAM HAD NOR BOR LIN COL
Lap 40 – Oscar Piastri will do well to keep fourth, Lewis Hamitlon’s Ferrari is all over him. And past in the usual spot not long after. Hamilton is nine second behind Verstappen in third. Hamilton is under a cloud for unsafe release at the pitstop, so a potential ten second penalty could be applied post-race. So Piastri may not lose that place after all. Further ahead Kimi Antonelli is warned about track limits.
FINAL LAP – Kimi Antonelli puts on a little power show on the final lap to give himself some celebration room for a Belgian GP win, to extend his Championship lead. Feelgood stories down the grid as the Leclerc Renaissance continues with a fine second place, and Verstappen turns around an undriveable car to third. Hadjar does super from the back of the grid on the oldest set of tyres, and Lando Norris’ race was good too.
FINAL ORDER (Across the line): ANT LEC VER HAM PIA HAD NOR BOR LIND COL
Here we go through the field and highlight the very best (Great) of the race, and the plodders, the over-ambitious, the out of luck, and simply hopeless (Grape).
These points get added to our Driver of the Season scores. 5 points for a great nomination, and -5 for the worst or grapest driver in the pack. Then it is +2 /-2 for honourable or dishonourable mentions.
THE GREAT-EST – KIMI ANTONELLI
A win, his team mate (and realistic Championship rival) is off on lap one is a good end result. Took a little while to get back past Charles Leclerc after the Safety Car pitstops.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
CHARLES LECLERC – A really good race that at one stage was looking like ending in victory for a while in the middle to second part of the race. Second is good enough for now, to go along with that British GP win, and his fortunes have turned around rather quickly.
ISACK HADJAR – Great drive from the back of the grid, on hard tyres thar did all but three laps of the GP.
LANDO NORRIS – Started the race from 12th on the grid after penalties, but raced well in his McLaren, and even led for a while.
ARVID LINDBLAD – Racing Bulls continue to be best of the rest and Lindblad himself was genuinely in among the top four cars in parts of qualifying.,
GABRIEL BORTOLETO – More solid places for Audi.
F3 QUALIFYING – Worth a look, having a 15 car pack jostling for position in qualifying, occasionally ending in tears this weekend.
THE GRAPE-EST – GEORGE RUSSELL
Basically thrashed by Kimi Antonelli in most sessions over the weekend, then punted off the track on lap while his team mate and likely Championship rival wins.
DISHONOURABLE MENTIONS
PIERRE GASLY – Outqualified by his team mate again, and had a huge shunt on the Saturday which would make his boss Flavio very grumpy.
ESTEBAN OCON – No way he keeps his seat for 2027.
ASTON MARTIN – Still the worst car in the field, which is some kind of effort given the new team Cadillac is on the grid.
Was it a good race, loads of action, a tense ending, a surprise result or DNF, or just a big, fat, snooze-fest?
We rate the big race itself, so we know which races to go back and watch in the off season or one to simply remember the winner for the post season quiz nights.
PRE RACE ACTION (FP, QUAL, SPRINT, OFF TRACK etc) – 4 / 5
Qualifying is becoming a genuine battle these days between all four top cars. And Spa is such a good track to just sit back and watch.
ON TRACK ACTION (RACE) – 7 / 10
Some great racing within the top 6 cars in the first half of the race, a Safety Car caused a little mayhem and the ending saw some battling if not overtaking.
ANY SURPRISES? – 2 / 5
George Russell in the gravel early is a bit of a surprise for us, and even more so than Russell, who claims he gave enough room for Hamilton. Isack Hadjar lasting most of the race on one set of tyres was surprising too.
SEASON IMPORTANCE – 4 / 5
A real momentum swinger with Kimi Antonelli winning and George Russell scoring no points. Ferrari are looking better and better, Leclerc peaking of the two in the last two races.
ENDING – 2 / 5
A few battles to keep one interested enough.
OVERALL RATING – 19 / 30
A good race overall with some exciting racing early before the Mario Kart engine boosts died down. Not Championship defining, but pushing it along in a certain direction. Charles Leclerc’s comeback continues, and some great drives further back down the field.
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