Kimi Antonelli F1 fans witnessed another defining moment in the 2026 Formula 1 season as the young Mercedes driver produced a stunning comeback to win the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday. The Italian star overcame Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in a thrilling battle before pulling away in the closing laps to secure his sixth Formula 1 victory and strengthen his championship lead.ALSO READ: How Argentina won the 2022 FIFA World CupThe Belgian Grand Prix proved to be one of the most dramatic races of the season, featuring changing race leaders, an opening-lap collision involving George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, strategy battles, penalties and fresh questions for Mercedes. Antonelli's latest triumph was also his first victory since winning the Monaco Grand Prix last month, ending a brief winless spell in style.Charles Leclerc grabs early lead before Antonelli fights backStarting from pole position, Kimi Antonelli looked set to control the Belgian Grand Prix from the front.ALSO READ: FIFA World Cup 2026: Everything you need to know before the final — format, tickets, halftime show, host cities, prize money, controversies and moreHowever, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc briefly stole the spotlight when a Virtual Safety Car period helped him gain track position during the pit-stop phase. The strategy allowed Leclerc to emerge ahead of the Mercedes driver, putting Ferrari in control.Antonelli refused to settle for second. With 10 laps remaining, the Italian launched a decisive move to overtake Leclerc and immediately built a comfortable advantage. Once back in front, Antonelli never looked threatened and comfortably crossed the finish line to collect another crucial 25 championship points.Leclerc finished second, while Red Bull's Max Verstappen completed the podium after briefly leading the race during the opening stages.George Russell's race ends after opening-lap collisionThe biggest talking point of the Belgian Grand Prix came on the very first lap.George Russell started third on the grid but lost positions after struggling for straight-line speed. While trying to fight back, the Mercedes driver went wheel-to-wheel with former teammate Lewis Hamilton.The two cars made contact, sending Russell spinning into the gravel trap. His Mercedes became stranded, forcing the British driver to retire immediately as the Safety Car was deployed. Hamilton continued the race but was later handed a five-second penalty for the collision.Although the incident appeared dramatic, Russell insisted afterward that Hamilton was not entirely responsible."The incident with Lewis was a racing incident. He didn’t do it on purpose. He was more to blame than I, but he didn’t do anything reckless."Russell points to Mercedes problems rather than HamiltonInstead of blaming Hamilton, Russell suggested technical problems at Mercedes had created the situation. The British driver explained that his car suddenly lost electrical power after the opening corner, leaving him vulnerable before the collision.“When it happens so often you just get used to it,” he said.Russell then revealed what went wrong. “I made a great first corner and I was tucked up right behind (Red Bull’s Max) Verstappen but for whatever reason the battery decided not to recharge at Turn One,” he was quoted as saying to Star Sports.“I exited the first corner 35 per cent down because of that, and it didn’t charge, I had a boost problem, the turbo didn’t sort itself out, so no power, and I got to the top of Eau Rouge with 0 per cent battery and quite frankly it was dangerous."“I got swamped by three cars and I shouldn’t have been in that position in the first place, and that is why I am most angry."The retirement marked Russell's third scoreless race of the season, allowing Antonelli to extend his advantage in the drivers' championship.Toto Wolff confirms Mercedes engine issueMercedes team principal Toto Wolff admitted after the race that Russell's complaints were genuine. According to Wolff, the problem wasn't limited to Russell's car but affected every Mercedes-powered engine to varying degrees, including Antonelli's.“It was a new problem but it wasn’t only on George’s side. Instead, it affected all the Mercedes engines, some more, some less, and Kimi (Antonelli) too,” Wolff told Sky Sport Germany, suggesting a software problem was responsible.The Mercedes boss acknowledged the team still has major work ahead despite Antonelli's victory.“We have an engine that’s incredibly strong, a car that is fast but simply not stable enough and we need to get on top of that because we’re losing valuable points in the constructors’ championship.”Lewis Hamilton's difficult afternoon continuesHamilton's Belgian Grand Prix was far from straightforward. Besides receiving a five-second penalty for the clash with Russell, the Ferrari driver endured several tense radio exchanges with his team regarding strategy and car setup.The seven-time world champion also accidentally struck a Ferrari mechanic while leaving the pit lane during a stop.Hamilton immediately checked on the crew member's condition and was informed that the mechanic was unharmed. However, race officials launched an investigation into a possible unsafe release after the incident.Despite the setbacks, Hamilton recovered to finish fourth.What Kimi Antonelli's Belgian Grand Prix victory meansKimi Antonelli's victory further strengthens his position at the top of the Formula 1 championship standings. With George Russell failing to score and Ferrari unable to convert its strategy into victory, the young Italian continues to build momentum in what has already become a breakthrough season.His sixth career Formula 1 victory not only ended his wait since Monaco but also underlined why many believe Antonelli is emerging as the driver to beat in this year's title race.As Formula 1 heads into the next round, Mercedes leaves Belgium with mixed emotions—celebrating another win through Antonelli while searching for answers after Russell's costly retirement and the technical issues that disrupted its weekend.(With inputs from agencies)