Kimi Antonelli returned to top form and secured a victory that had… the makings of a championship win at Spa! The young Italian Mercedes driver withstood the intense pressure from Charles Leclerc in the final laps and celebrated his sixth victory of the season, in a race decided by the smallest of margins and the two VSC periods.

Leclerc was Antonelli’s main rival; he took full advantage of the first VSC to make his pit stop and temporarily take the lead, but the Ferrari didn’t have that extra edge to keep the Mercedes behind it. The Monegasque driver had excellent pace, fought until the very end, but finished second by just a few tenths.

Max Verstappen took the third spot on the podium, having paid the price for pitting just before the first VSC and losing touch with the battle at the front. Red Bull didn’t have the pace of its two main rivals, but the Dutchman secured a podium finish thanks to Lewis Hamilton’s problems.

The Briton had a race full of setbacks: a 5-second penalty for the collision with George Russell on the first lap, a mishap during the Ferrari pit stop where the front wing adjustment wasn’t completed, and a minor collision with a mechanic while exiting the pits, which could result in another penalty. Despite all this, Hamilton managed to climb up to 4th place, passing Oscar Piastri at the end.

Behind them, Lando Norris battled with Piastri and Isaac Hajar, but a time-consuming problem during his pit stop left him out of the top six. Russell retired on the first lap, paying the price for his collision with Hamilton.

Antonelli, however, was the big winner of the day: He secured a victory that brings him back into the title race with a vengeance and showed that he can handle pressure, strategy, and critical moments like a seasoned driver.

*photo source: AP