Race Highlights | 2026 Belgian Grand Prix

One, two, three, four, five red lights in Spa and the Belgian Grand Prix is underway. Kimi Antonelli with a good launch, it's what he needs at the moment. Max Verstappen trying the wide line, will that give him launch of the first turn? Will they all make it through as you were for the top three, for the top four? Charles Leclerc has a run on George Russell going into Eau Rouge. Max Verstappen has the power, Max Verstappen has the lead into Eau Rouge corner. Can he hold it now? Will Antonelli come back immediately? It's Max Verstappen bringing the crowd to their feet, Antonelli back on the attack though as we go down the Kemmel straight and he's got the inside line and look at the speed from Charles Leclerc to take second position. Max Verstappen goes from first to third and Russell and Lewis Hamilton make contact, second in the championship, makes contact with third in the championship and Russell is in the gravel. The two racing bulls so close to snagging each other as well coming through Rivage. Russell in the gravel trying to go around the outside of Hamilton, super close and too close between the two Brits as Verstappen got the lead early on and then just didn't have that straight line speed. Leclerc's the big beneficiary up to second place. Safety car is cooled so the race will be neutralized. George Russell is out of the Belgian Grand Prix. The bad news for Lewis Hamilton is he has a five second penalty for causing a collision. Big moment for contact with George Russell at this corner on the opening lap. Carlos Sainz who started in 19th position on the grid. There's the tag with Ocon in the Haas. That's not going to be where Ocon's picked his puncture up either. This will be that one then. Ah and with his teammate Oli Behrmann was ahead. Green flag flies once again at the Belgian Grand Prix. That was a great read by Leclerc who left Verstappen far away behind. Hamilton on the inside. Hamilton on Piastri at the first turn of the racetrack. No hanging around and the Ferrari man is up to fourth for the moment. Well what could Piastri do? Surely not into Eau Rouge. Here we go side by side. Position back again at enormous speed from Oscar Piastri. This is for the major places as we go through Radeon Corner onto the Kemmel Straight. Red Bull chasing Ferrari. Max Verstappen with the chance. Does he have the speed? The answer is going to be yes and he reclaims second position in the Grand Prix. Here we go blasting with a slipstream. He's got so much pace as he makes his way up the hill. Is he going to have the room? Piastri trying to improve to the podium place. It hasn't been on the podium since the Miami Grand Prix. Oh contact between McLaren and Ferrari. The gap disappeared. Piastri and Leclerc closing down and does that give a chance for Lewis Hamilton? No further action. Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri for the collision. Unless you've got a huge overspeed you can't do anything here. It's just a flat out section. The Active Aero shuts to have a little bit of downforce to get through Eau Rouge sensibly and here we go with Hamilton. Piastri knows. Goes on the defensive. Lewis Hamilton has the speed. Lewis Hamilton has the place and he's up to fourth. Oscar Piastri goes from looking at P3 to dropping to P5. The overtaking highlights reel for Lando Norris continues and he makes his way past Liam Lawson. He's up to P7. Lando Norris has cleared Arvid Lindblad. He is now P6. Good stop for Mercedes under the pressure of holding on to the race lead 2.6. So Antonelli leaves the pits and still is in the net lead of the race and Verstappen will see the Mercedes again emerge ahead. Lando Norris over the back of a hobbled Oscar Piastri who had contact with Charles Leclerc's Ferrari and Norris's hard charging Grand Prix continues. He's going to be ahead. Lando Norris takes third place in the race with Antonelli and Verstappen having made their only stops of the Grand Prix. Oscar Piastri is listed ahead of his teammate. Did he get past him in Telecom? Piastri gets past his teammate. Virtual Safety Car is out once again. Race is neutralized. There are marshals on the track at turn 15. That's In comes Charles Leclerc. A reminder for you. Five second penalty for Lewis Hamilton. Well this will negate it at least because they'll both take a huge gain. So Leclerc is in and he's surely going to come out ahead of Kimi Antonelli who's going slowly you can see. Kimi Antonelli at reduced speed. Where's the Ferrari? Where's the Ferrari? There's the Ferrari. There's the control line and Charles Leclerc is out ahead of Kimi Antonelli. Well the race turns on its head and he's on fresher tyres as well. So Ferrari gambled going long. Leclerc ran a great first stint. Kept his tyres in and he is somehow ahead now of the man that's been almost unstoppable all weekend. Two laps fresher tyres for Leclerc. Is he going to clear Norris straight away here? Could really do with it. Needs an efficient pass with Antonelli bearing down on him. It's the race lead and a real opportunity for Charles Leclerc who clears the McLaren. And then how quickly can Antonelli do that as well? This looks the best opportunity for a while for Kimi Antonelli. This time he will make the pass. This time he will climb to second place and it's game on for Grand Prix victory between Mercedes and Ferrari. 2.8 seconds the gap as Antonelli takes P2. Look at that three wide! Unbelievable! Unbelievable! Carlo Pinto has got past Gasly and Liam Lawson. That was absolutely epic! Well he didn't get the virtual safety car he was looking for. Full safety car he was looking for and he pits under green flag conditions. So he hits his marks, sends McLaren to work and it's not fast work! The rear left and that's costing him horribly here. Kimi Antonelli has chucked the curveball of a Ferrari ahead thanks to the timing of the virtual safety car. This is Antonelli's first chance as they climb the hill. Antonelli trying to win Grand Prix number six in Formula One. Ferrari in the way. Charles Leclerc tries to defend. Will there be any answer? No! Antonelli gets ahead, takes the lead and gets past Charles Leclerc in Belgium. Oscar Piastri has his mirrors full of Hamilton. Hamilton around the outside. He gets past the McLaren and the huge crowd on the Kemmel straight enjoying that overtaking action that sees Lewis Hamilton climb to P4. Kimi Antonelli will see the chequered flag first. Kimi Antonelli wins the Belgian Grand Prix chased all the way home by Charles Leclerc. The margin 1.9 seconds at the flag. Antonelli with six victories in Formula One. Six victories in Formula One this season and an enormous lead in the World Championship. As Verstappen comes home in third, then it's Hamilton in fourth. Piastri in fifth. Hajar hangs on by seven tenths of a second and it's Norris from 13th to 7th. Nice work, Kimi. Well done there, mate. Let's go! Good effort, mate. Thank you so much, guys. Yeah, well done, mate. It was a busy race, that one, but well done. Kept a cool head. It's been the Kimi Antonelli show at the Belgian Grand Prix a year ago. Lost, questioning whether he was capable of performing in Formula One. Twelve months further forward, there's no question there anymore. It's the rest of the field who are looking around and thinking how they're going to stop Italy having their first World Champion since Alberto Ascari.