Kimi Antonelli mastered Spa-Francorchamps on Sunday to claim a phenomenal victory at the Belgian Grand Prix. Starting from pole, the 19-year-old Mercedes rookie overcame a fierce challenge from Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen to secure his sixth win of the season. Photo: AFP
Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli ended a three-race winless streak on Sunday to extend his lead in the Formula One drivers’ championship with a solid fighting victory for Mercedes in the Belgian Grand Prix.
The 19-year-old Mercedes driver came home 1.9 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, with four-time champion Max Verstappen finishing third for Red Bull. Antonelli's teammate George Russell, 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 Hamilton.
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.
Isack Hadjar, who began at the back of the grid, did superbly to work his Red Bull up to sixth, just holding off reigning world champion Lando Norris, who started 13th in the second McLaren. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi), Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) and Franco Colapinto (Alpine) rounded out the top 10.
