Winner at Spa-Francorchamps, Kimi Antonelli acknowledged that the retirements and difficulties of his rivals offered him a valuable opportunity in the championship.
Read more Charles Leclerc acknowledges a «helping hand» at Spa: «I believed in victory until the end»
Kimi Antonelli found his way back to victory at the best moment. After several more complicated weekends, the driver Mercedes won the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, after a race far from simple.
The young Italian however admitted that the circumstances were particularly favorable to him in the fight for the world title. Between the early retirement of George Russell and the difficulties encountered by Lewis Hamilton, Antonelli made an excellent move in the overall standings.
Thanks to this success, he now extends his lead in the championship to at least 45 points over Hamilton, second in the F1 standings, while Russell is 50 points behind.
A victory snatched from Leclerc after a strategic move
Starting from pole position, Antonelli seemed to control the race before a Virtual Safety Car reshuffled the cards. This neutralization allowed Charles Leclerc to make a very advantageous pit stop and come out ahead of the Mercedes.
The Ferrari driver then found himself in the lead, forcing Antonelli to attack again to recover his position.
Despite the pressure, the championship leader did not panic. He gradually reduced the gap before finding an opening and regaining first place, which he kept until the checkered flag with a 1.9 second lead over Leclerc.
“It’s great to be back on the top step of the podium after several difficult races. It was an intense battle. We lost first place with the Virtual Safety Car, but we managed to come back” explained Antonelli after the race.
Read more Lewis Hamilton escapes a new penalty, Ferrari heavily sanctioned
Mercedes finally smiles again after a difficult period
This victory ends a more delicate streak for Antonelli, who had not won since the Monaco Grand Prix. The Mercedes driver had notably experienced two reliability issues during the races held in Barcelona and Silverstone.
Despite these setbacks, the young champion assures he never lost confidence in his title chances.
“I think the momentum was always there. We just had to manage to convert it into a result. Today, we also had a bit of luck with what happened in the championship, but that’s exactly why you have to seize every opportunity” he declared.
A championship that can shift quickly
Antonelli knows, however, that nothing is decided. According to him, the situation in the standings can change very quickly over the next Grands Prix.
“We have seen how easily things can change. We have to keep performing, keep bringing results, and then we will see what happens at the end of the year” concluded the Mercedes driver.
With this sixth victory in Formula 1, Antonelli thus makes a major move in the title race. A success built on his pace, race management, but also on a scenario that gave him an opportunity he did not let slip.
Read more Lewis Hamilton’s nightmare day continues: he hits a mechanic and faces a second penalty