Belgium - Race

In its last race before it becomes a rotational track on the F1 calendar, Spa delivered the excitement that the fans have come to expect from it. The tension began building from the very first lap and did not let up until the winner crossed the finish line. So who triumphed in Belgium, and who faced the deepest disappointment? 

The race start brought far more chaos than anyone could have predicted. Kimi Antonelli was the driver starting on pole, but he quickly lost the position to the well-placed Max Verstappen. He returned to the lead before the lap was over, but while the fight between the two great drivers was entertaining, it was not what captured the viewers' attention. Behind them, Lewis Hamilton made contact with George Russell, leading to the latter spinning out and finishing the race much earlier than he would have liked. Among the chaos, the former's Ferrari teammate moved through the field and into second position, making Antonelli, Leclerc, Verstappen, Piastri, and Hamilton the new top five. 

A safety car was called in to deal with the fallout of the first few moments of the Grand Prix. It ended on lap four, allowing Antonelli to take the field back to full racing. Hamilton wasted no time before trying to overtake Piastri for P4, and, although he managed to find a way past the Australian, his opponent reclaimed it soon after. In front of them, Verstappen moved into P2, pushing Leclerc right into the arms of the aforementioned McLaren driver. 

Piastri was eager to make a move of his own, but on lap eight, as he tried to perform it, the cars made contact that slowed him down and allowed Hamilton to complete the overtake he had set out on a few laps earlier. The one thing that worked in the Australian's favour was that his net position was still ahead of that of the Ferrari driver, as Hamilton had received a 5-second penalty for the lap one incident involving him and Russell. 

While Antonelli kept a safe distance from the rest of the pack, Verstappen, Leclerc, Hamilton, and Piastri all stuck very close together as the midfield drivers began to pit. Verstappen was the first to change his tires, quickly followed by Antonelli. On lap 20, after a virtual safety car was called to clean up some debris carried onto the track, the two Ferraris and Piastri pitted as well. This made Norris the temporary leader. The decision to stay out a bit longer ended up being a great strategic decision from Ferrari, as it allowed Leclerc to come out ahead of Antonelli. 

On lap 23, Leclerc improved his situation even further as he overtook Norris for the lead. There wasn't much the McLaren driver could do on his much older tires. Three laps later his also lost P2 to Antonelli and, on lap 29, fell into the clutches of Verstappen. He pitted on lap 31, and a problem with one of his tires pushed his day from bad to worse. It took 7.8 seconds for him to get moving again. 

Meanwhile in the front, the young Italian was closing in on the Monegasque. He managed to catch up and overtake him on lap 34, regaining the lead he had lost after his pit stop. Leclerc stayed close behind, trying to find the space to make a move but, in the end, the Mercedes was simply too quick for him. After a series of terrible races, Antonelli returned to the top step of the podium, extending his lead over the rest of the field. 

Order of the grid:

1. Kimi Antonelli

2. Charles Leclerc

3. Max Verstappen

4. Lewis Hamilton

5. Oscar Piastro

6. Isack Hadjar

7. Lando Norris

8. Gabriel Bortoleto

9. Arvid Lindblad

10. Franco Colapinto

11. Pierre Gasly

12. Liam Lawson

13. Nico Hulkenberg

14. Oliver Bearman

15. Alex Albon

16. Carlos Sainz

17. Esteban Ocon

18. Valtteri Bottas

19. Fernando Alonso

DNF: Lance Stroll, Serio Perez, George Russell