Antonelli secures sixth win of F1 season with victory at Belgian Grand Prix

[p]The 19-year-old Mercedes driver came home 1.9 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/leclerc-charles/KlCOSRub/"]Charles Leclerc[/a] with four-time champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/verstappen-max/UV3mgeXB/"]Max Verstappen[/a] finishing third for Red Bull.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/antonelli-andrea-kimi/ptGu0mT1/"]Antonelli[/a]'s teammate [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/russell-george/xxF56RaN/"]George Russell[/a], who began the race in second place in the championship, just 25 points behind the Italian, crashed out of the race on the opening lap after tangling with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hamilton-lewis/tI5Vpe1h/"]Hamilton[/a].[/b][/p][p]Hamilton was fourth for Ferrari after an incident-filled race in which he almost hit a mechanic during a pit-stop. The incident was referred to the stewards leaving the seven-time world champion with the possibility of a further penalty.[/p][embed guid="ffeedcbf-08b7-4085-aa72-cd23fc8d6dd0" url="https://x.com/F1/status/2078861764284780563" social-type="twitter" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hadjar-isack/8SAk38Ui/"]Isack Hadjar[/a], who began at the back of the grid, did superbly to work his Red Bull up to sixth, just holding off reigning world champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/norris-lando/WSVABbVF/"]Lando Norris[/a], who started 13th, in the second McLaren.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bortoleto-gabriel/8zwcIVil/"]Gabriel Bortoleto[/a] (Audi), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lindblad-arvid/bgk1rl5a/"]Arvid Lindblad[/a] (Racing Bulls) and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/colapinto-franco/GzFqySBA/"]Franco Colapinto[/a] (Alpine) rounded out the top 10.[/p][p]It was Antonelli’s sixth win of the season and came from his sixth pole of the year, the first driver to win from pole in Belgium since 2021.[/p][p]It lifts him to 204 points in the championship, 45 clear of Hamilton with Russell third on 154.[/p][p][b]"It feels very nice to be back on the top step,"[/b] said Antonelli.[/p][embed guid="a583b0bc-4184-4259-b845-b2524705ed46" url="https://x.com/F1/status/2078851630754058424" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]"We just have to keep performing, keep bringing the results and then we will see what will happen at the end of the year."[/b][/p][p]The race started in cool conditions under a grey sky with rain in the air as Antonelli made a good start to lead up to La Source, but he had no answer when Verstappen deployed his power pack to pass him through Eau Rouge.[/p][p]The Dutchman was then immediately vulnerable to a counter-attack and both the Italian and Leclerc drafted past him into Les Combes where behind them Hamilton clashed with Russell.[/p][h2]'Racing incident'[/h2][p]The four-time champion continued in fifth, but Russell bounced off into retirement as a Safety Car (SC) was deployed.[/p][p]Hamilton reported that he “had no front end” control as a result of a car ahead moving across him and the incident was investigated by the stewards who gave Hamilton a five-second penalty.[/p][p]A downcast Russell, whose title bid had taken a heavy blow, said: “[b]It was a racing incident, but it shouldn’t have happened if I’d had the speed down the straight.”[/b][/p][p]Racing resumed on lap five with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/piastri-oscar/MqKAIeUf/"]Piastri[/a] fighting and resisting Hamilton before Verstappen swept past Leclerc for second. Piastri then chased Leclerc and they touched at Les Combes, where the Monegasque defended and the Australian lost a piece of front wing end plate.[/p][embed guid="159f8832-f260-48cf-bc01-57b3d5177b04" url="https://x.com/F1/status/2078860526600262070" social-type="twitter" /][p]The stewards investigated again, but took ‘no further action’ while Hamilton advanced and passed Piastri for fourth on lap nine as the race settled after a frantic start with Antonelli two seconds clear of Verstappen at the front ahead of both Ferraris.[/p][p]Further Virtual Safety Cars (VSC) intervened and on lap 20, Ferrari went for a 'double-stack'. Leclerc went through cleanly but Hamilton, who had to serve his five-second penalty, made a messy exit touching a mechanic on exit.[/p][p]The mechanic was reported to be fine but the stewards decided to investigate again for an unsafe release.[/p][p][b]That left Norris, who had started 13th with a 10-place grid penalty, for taking a new battery, leading ahead of Leclerc, Antonelli and Verstappen until the Ferrari cruised by to take command on lap 23.[/b][/p][p]Antonelli swept past Norris three laps later and surged after Leclerc while Hamilton, who had requested a wing adjustment in vain during his pit-stop, fell back to sixth.[/p][p]Norris finally pitted to swap his old hards for mediums on lap 31, rejoining eighth after a slow stop due to a sticky left rear, Hadjar rising to sixth behind Hamilton.[/p][p][b]Leclerc led until lap 34 when, as he feared, Antonelli’s superior power carried him through at Les Combes.[/b][/p][p]But he hung on tight, within a second of the silver arrow, while Hamilton passed Piastri for fourth with five laps to go.[/p]