Analysis: Key Victors and Defeats from the Belgian Grand Prix

A week after Kimi Antonelli’s setbacks and George Russell’s return to contention, the Ardennes hills delivered another dramatic shift in momentum. Meanwhile, Mercedes’ primary competitors showed marked improvements, injecting significant excitement into the 2026 season.

Winner: Kimi Antonelli

His dominance is becoming undeniable. Regardless of the challenges posed by the 2026 regulations, the young Antonelli continues to find solutions. While his start was not as chaotic as teammate George Russell’s, he still faced intense pressure when four-time world champion Max Verstappen attempted a pass through Eau Rouge.

Verstappen may have risked excessive battery deployment to attempt the move in front of the home crowd, but Antonelli swiftly reclaimed the lead. His victory over Charles Leclerc to secure his sixth grand prix win of the season felt almost inevitable. While his qualifying session was standout, his Sunday performance was characterized by a composed, veteran-like maturity. To demonstrate such poise at just 19 years old is remarkable.

Loser: George Russell

George Russell, Mercedes

Photo by: John Thys / AFP via Getty Images

Just as Russell seemed to regain momentum following Antonelli’s struggles at Silverstone, Spa proved to be another setback. He faced a double blow: following a frustrating qualifying session where a power unit deployment glitch cost him straight-line speed against Antonelli, Sunday brought further complications.

A failure in energy regeneration at Turn 1 left Russell vulnerable on the straight, leading to contact from Lewis Hamilton. While Russell wasn’t particularly incensed by the contact itself, the incident highlighted the vulnerability caused by the latest Mercedes power unit issues.

While Sunday belonged to Mercedes in terms of raw speed, Antonelli has proven increasingly difficult for Russell to match. Bridging this performance gap will be essential if Russell intends to remain a championship contender.

It was also a turbulent race for Ferrari. Charles Leclerc managed to hold off Oscar Piastri early on and benefited from a strategically timed virtual safety car. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton faced setbacks including understeer that led to contact with Russell and a chaotic pitstop. Despite these hurdles, Leclerc and Hamilton secured second and fourth respectively. For a team expected to struggle with power deployment on this high-speed circuit, this level of consistency is a vital step toward a championship campaign. Mercedes currently holds the performance edge, but Ferrari is proving to be the more reliable force.

Photo by: Clive Rose / Formula 1 via Getty Images

Loser: Oscar Piastri

Piastri has maintained a stoic demeanor, but the driver is clearly frustrated by the current power unit regulations. A fifth-place finish represented solid damage limitation for McLaren. While Lando Norris overcame a grid penalty to finish seventh, showing the MCL40’s competitiveness, Piastri continues to struggle to match his teammate’s pace, particularly on Saturdays.

Piastri’s recent form has been hindered by a combination of hydraulic issues on Friday and unpredictable power unit performance during qualifying. It marks a continuing period of frustration for the Australian driver.

Regarding Audi, expectations were low given their known power unit deficiencies, but Gabriel Bortoleto managed to guide the machine into Q3 for the first time in four rounds, securing points for the second consecutive weekend. Helped by a timely VSC, Bortoleto showed impressive speed, demonstrating consistent growth. Audi has significantly improved, scoring eight points in eight days and closing in on Williams.

Photo by: Guido De Bortoli / LAT Images via Getty Images

Loser: Aston Martin

Aston Martin’s performance at Spa was a low point for the team, suffering from a severe lack of aerodynamic updates. Both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll struggled with pace that sat significantly below the frontrunners.

While upgrades are expected in Hungary, the current gap is substantial. Even with the upcoming technical updates, the team will likely require the power of the new Honda engine in Zandvoort to truly revitalize their competitive standing.

Photo by: Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images

Winner: Red Bull

Despite ongoing speculation regarding Max Verstappen’s future, Red Bull has quietly implemented effective upgrades that have made the RB22 highly competitive. The hybrid performance issues seen at Silverstone were noticeably less pronounced at Spa.

Verstappen would likely have finished second on merit if not for the VSC aiding Leclerc. Additionally, Isack Hadjar delivered a standout performance, finishing seventh in his comeback race.

Team boss Laurent Mekies noted that Hadjar’s performance was a significant step forward, contributing to a strengthening driver lineup. For a team navigating internal staff transitions and external narratives, their on-track performance remains a powerful rebuttal.

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