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Charles Leclerc has confirmed that he has no concerns about Ferrari’s budget, after Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff had suggested the Scuderia might run out of spending room, with the Monegasque professing his complete faith in his team. Wolff’s comments came after the Austrian Grand Prix, which saw Ferrari introduce a small power unit upgrade as part of their development to catch the Silver Arrows on track. Every weekend, teams learn more about how to maximise the new generation of cars, resulting in updates - something that Wolff believes will impact Ferrari’s finances and lead to their rate of development slowing as the season continues. Asked ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix for his feelings on the issue, Leclerc said:
"On that, I trust Fred more than anything. Of course, there's a lot of work from the team to try and push production, to try and push the creative minds behind the team that just push in order to have upgrades as quickly and as efficiently as possible. I'm sure Fred is on top of that, so am I worried? I am not, because I fully trust Fred and I know that he knows what he's doing".
Ferrari Team Principal Vasseur previously explained that they will stick with their current approach, summarising:
"If we can bring something at the beginning we do it, and it's better to have a couple of tenths for five races than just a couple of tenths for the last two".
The Scuderia will look to extract the most from their current package in Spa - which earned Leclerc his first victory of the season last time out at Silverstone - and the 28-year-old is hopeful of enhancing his understanding of the SF-26.
"Definitely on my side, I already knew in Silverstone what I had changed and what made me feel more comfortable. In terms of overall performance there are still some things that we need to dig into more and I think for us to understand them fully we need a few more laps to try some things. My position is the same one as I had before Silverstone. For me, Silverstone and Spa are two tracks that will suit a lot better Mercedes. However, in Silverstone, it was honestly a surprise for us also to be strong, but we were also lucky on the Sunday because Kimi was probably as strong as what we expected. I think in Spa, Mercedes are still the favourites".
George Russell has explained that getting used to the characteristics of Mercedes’ 2026 challenger is akin to a golfer changing his swing, as the Briton has gradually uncovered why he has struggled to find a consistent rhythm. After enduring reliability troubles and a lack of performance relative to Kimi Antonelli, who claimed a remarkable five wins in a row between China and Monaco, Russell bounced back with victory at the Austrian Grand Prix and has reduced his team mate’s advantage to 25 points. His resurgence coincided with a run of misfortune for the Italian as car issues prevented him from scoring in two out of the three most recent Grands Prix, but Russell admitted that he’s still learning how to feel comfortable in the car.
"You naturally evolve your driving style to suit what is needed. When I raced in Formula 4, Formula 3, Formula 2, F1 at Williams and then the previous generation, my style suited what was needed for all of those cars. This year, we’ve seen a lot of trends that my style isn’t quite suiting what the power unit needs, what the tyres need, and we’re just needing to adapt the set-up to something that I’ve not really run before. It’s kind of forcing me to drive a bit more consciously rather than subconsciously, which is also a bit of a negative. I’m hoping I’m in a bit of a learning pit before I can then take advantage of those learnings. I guess it’s like a golfer changing his swing - it’s probably going to take a small step backwards first, and then you relearn that new swing and it’s better. That feels a little bit where I’m at at the moment".
Although Russell has his sights set on the standings lead, especially with the summer break coming up shortly, he also conceded that Antonelli isn’t his only rival in the title battle. Ferrari have consistently improved throughout the season and now have two victories of their own, with Lewis Hamilton winning in Barcelona before Charles Leclerc beat Russell to the top step at Silverstone - Hamilton is currently just seven points adrift of his fellow Briton. Asked whether he believes Ferrari's progress is circuit-specific, Russell replied:
"I think they are definitely a permanent threat. They’ve been getting stronger and stronger throughout this season. It’s been very impressive to see the quantity of upgrades they’re bringing. The power unit for them at Silverstone looked much stronger than we’ve seen earlier in the season, and we know they have a fantastic chassis and great reliability. I think they’re going to be a real threat".
Kimi Antonelli believes it's really hard to judge whether a 25-point gap over Mercedes team mate George Russell is a fair margin in their title battle, as both drivers have suffered with reliability issues this season. Antonelli looked set to fight for his sixth win of the season in the British Grand Prix last time out, with the Italian teenager quickly closing on race leader, and eventual winner, Charles Leclerc. But a problem with his front-left wheel shield meant it became detached, requiring two unscheduled pit stops, while a five-second penalty for track limits while dealing with the issue dropped him outside the points. Second place for Russell means the gap between the pair in the Drivers' standings now sits at only 25 points ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix this weekend. On Thursday's media day at Spa, Antonelli was asked to reply to a comment made by Russell, who had suggested a 25-point gap in his favour is probably correct - based on their performances from the first nine race weekends of the year.
"It's really hard to judge because yes he's had bad luck for sure. Montreal was one of them. Of course, we wouldn't have known how the race would have ended, because we were both neck and neck. He was very unlucky because at that point, he was leading before he stopped. For sure there were a couple of other times that he was a bit unlucky. In my case, we were going towards a result that was almost certain, Barcelona was P2. Silverstone we cannot know because I didn't have a shot, but I think it would have been a fight for it the victory. We know those for sure would have been certain points. I have to say, both of us had bad luck and one of us had it at more critical moments at times, but it's the way it is, this is how motorsport goes. We can see ourselves how this can shift very quickly".
With Russell's retirement from the lead in Montreal and Antonelli losing second place in Barcelona, as well as suffering his Silverstone problems, Mercedes have dropped a large haul of points in the Teams' standings. The Silver Arrows sit only 78 points ahead of Ferrari, while Lewis Hamilton trails Antonelli by 32 points. Antonelli admits that the German manufacturer needs to get on top of their reliability problems despite having arguably the quickest package on the grid.
"As a team, definitely reliability has not been our strongest point. We've realised ourselves that it's something we need to keep working on. Ferrari seem very strong on that side. We just need to make sure, and I know the team is working super hard to make sure these things don't happen".
Lando Norris has explained why McLaren has decided to take a 10-place grid drop for the reigning World Champion at this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix. McLaren has opted to fit a new power electronics unit to Norris' car in an attempt to tackle recent reliability struggles, with engine supplier Mercedes also suffering issues for championship leader, Kimi Antonelli. The new, upgraded part has been fitted after failures for the same component at other rounds, including China and Japan, with McLaren exceeding our permitted number of allocated power electronics units, it said in a statement.
Speaking on Thursday's media day in Spa, Norris said:
"This weekend certainly won’t be made easier by the grid penalty. That’s just because I’ve been unlucky in the first part of the season losing a lot of different bits, whether it was the engine or the power unit or the controls - whatever it’s been. I’m on the back foot from a spare parts point of view but that’s out of my hands, and out of our hands in some ways. So that’s life. I've just got to take it on the chin and deal with some of the penalties that I have coming up, but this is certainly a better track to take the penalties than the next two. It’s part of it, but we can still look forward to try and have a good weekend".
McLaren has generally failed to match the performance of Mercedes and Ferrari this season, with Red Bull also moving into contention and demoting the reigning champions as the fourth-quickest car. Norris acknowledged that upgrades, which include a new rear wing in Belgium, as well as further planned packages in Hungary and Holland, would be crucial.
"Every little thing helps. When you see an upgrade on the notes, you think it’s going to turn things around. The rear wing that we have this weekend, it’s a very, very small step - probably not even a tenth of a second. Not even half a tenth maybe. We’re talking small numbers and hopefully the upgrades we can have in Budapest and into Zandvoort can help us maybe accelerate that progression. But we’re doing what we can - you can’t rush these things, you can’t just make them appear. So we’re paying the price, we’re working hard, the team are working hard and we just keep our heads down and maximise what we have now".
Oscar Piastri has offered an update on his position with McLaren amid ongoing speculation that Max Verstappen will replace him at the team. Rumours have continued in recent months about a possible move for four-time World Champion Verstappen to McLaren, where he would replace Piastri and partner Lando Norris. Piastri's manager and ex-F1 driver, Mark Webber, stated that there has been a lot of fiction written about the potential driver move, while McLaren CEO Zak Brown has publicly stated he his happy with his current line-up. Ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix this weekend, Verstappen stated there’s nothing to say about the reports, while Piastri claimed he was happy with the reassurances given by Brown.
"I trust in what Zak and Andrea have said to me and the belief in me as well. I'm happy with where I am, with the team around me and how things are going. Appreciate their belief, support and trust".
The Australian will look to bounce back this weekend after a tough race at the previous round in Silverstone, where an opening lap collision and unscheduled pit stop meant he failed to score any points. But returning to a venue where he won last year, Piastri was hopeful of picking up the pieces should others struggle, while planned upgrades for the next round in Hungary would bring McLaren closer to the front.
"For this weekend I'm not sure where we're going to sit. We're going to be similar to where we have been which is third or fourth quickest car depending on how competitive Red Bull look really. That's just the reality of where we are at the moment. Going forwards, hopefully the new parts we can bring to the car will help us out. We're under no illusion that we're going to need more than the upgrades we're bringing the next few races but hopefully, it's a positive step in the right direction and we can at least be there to pick up the pieces".
Max Verstappen has shared the processes that he is working on with Red Bull to improve their performance for this and future seasons, but refused to confirm whether he has reached a decision about remaining with the team. The Dutchman has raced for the Milton Keynes-based outfit for 10 years, securing four titles between 2021 and 2024, but their dominance has since faltered and they have struggled to deliver a consistent challenger under the new regulations. Reliability issues and unexpected crashes - including two influenced by the rear wing in Austria and Great Britain - have left Red Bull behind the frontrunners, causing speculation about Verstappen fulfilling his contract that extends to 2028. He has been linked with a move to McLaren, but insisted ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix that there’s nothing to say about the reports, adding:
"I don't want to say yes and no, and this and that about my future. I said already many times that if there was something new, I would say it myself".
Verstappen instead focused on the work going on behind the scenes to ensure that problems like the one that ended his British Grand Prix won’t happen again, explaining that everyone at Red Bull’s base is collaborating to take them back to the top.
"Now we’re just looking to the future trying to fix current issues that we have on the car, but that's an open discussion. Yes, sometimes you get a little bit disappointed or upset after a race, but for example after Silverstone, you go home and you reset. On Wednesday I was back at the factory and then you prepare again for the weekends ahead. That's how I've been operating in all the years together. And of course, some years are just a little bit more competitive than others, but in terms of my approach and how we work as a team, nothing really changes. People come and go - I think that's sometimes also part of the process. Sometimes you want people to stay potentially, yes, but I think that's just how life is, how sport is as well. You just have to carry on, try to find new talents. That's what you look at all the time and that's what we do".
Although Verstappen is yet to confirm his exact long-term plans, one potential avenue for the Dutchman’s future is working with junior drivers - he recently signed Dries Van Langendonck, who is part of McLaren’s development programme, to his own racing team with the goal of supporting the 15-year-old’s journey to F1. Asked how he will work alongside the youngster and McLaren, Verstappen said:
"Dries has been a big talent for a long time already in go-karting and I think you can spot quite quickly when someone is a little bit more special than someone else, and I think that has carried on with what he's doing right now in Formula 4. That's why I think it's just very exciting to try and help him, guide him. Of course, hand in hand from McLaren’s side as well, to make the right decisions for his future. I mean, he wants to get to Formula 1 and I'm just trying to make sure that will happen in the future. It's just honestly a very exciting project to be part of".
Sporting an old specification rear wing following crashes in Austria and Silverstone, the Dutchman posts a 1m 47.070s to establish Red Bull as the early frontrunner at Spa-Francorchamps, finishing just over a tenth clear of Hamilton. Several teams arrive in Belgium with new components, which leads to Lando Norris and Isack Hadjar being given significant grid penalties ahead of the 44-lap event - Norris has 10 places added to his Qualifying result, while Hadjar is expected to drop to the back of the grid with a 20-place penalty. Before that, they tackle FP1 at Spa-Francorchamps, with Carlos Sainz leading the pack for Williams once the light turns green. It is title contender George Russell who sets the opening benchmark of 1m 50.654s, but he is quickly demoted by Hamilton and Verstappen. Hadjar then becomes the first to break into the 1m 48s bracket - perhaps unsurprising considering that he is the only driver to run soft tyres in the first stage of FP1, with the majority opting for the sturdier medium compound. The other Red Bull of Verstappen manages to unlock his tyres’ potential and cuts his time down drastically in the opening 10 minutes, while Liam Lawson narrowly avoids a trip through the gravel in the sister Racing Bulls car. While Red Bull starts out as the team to beat at Spa, McLaren initially looks to be using the session as a testing opportunity for Norris, who briefly heads out with aero rakes and soft tyres but fails to set a representative time. Meanwhile, championship leader Kimi Antonelli - running 2.619s off the pace in P11 - is forced to swerve to avoid an unaware Sainz, prompting him to complain what an idiot over the radio. The Spaniard is then noted for crossing the line at the pit entry, which will be investigated following FP1. At the halfway mark, more drivers begin to switch to soft tyres, with Verstappen taking top spot by two-tenths from his team mate. The Mercedes pair of Antonelli and Russell find some improvement on the compound, but still find themselves over half a second adrift of their rivals. Consequently, the Italian requests that they switch focus onto long runs as he feels a bit edgy on his flying laps - something which Ferrari doesn’t seem to struggle with as Hamilton and Leclerc jump up to P2 and P3 respectively. The top three, led by Verstappen, remain as they are until the end of the session, with Hadjar finishing P4 to leave Red Bull and Ferrari as the best performers. Oscar Piastri winds up fifth for McLaren but suffers a late hydraulic pressure issue, which sees him pull off track briefly before his engineer instructs him to drive slowly back to the pits. Antonelli follows in P6 ahead of Norris and the second Mercedes of Russell, while Arvid Lindblad and Gabriel Bortoleto round out the top 10.
It means the majority of the grid heads out immediately once the pit lane opens at 5:00 p.m. local time, although Oscar Piastri is delayed by 20 minutes as his McLaren is being rebuilt in the garage due to a hydraulic leak. Drivers utilise Pirelli's medium tyre initially, with Antonelli posting a 1m 46.911s on his first effort, which is immediately quicker than Verstappen's session-best from FP1. It leaves the Mercedes driver just 0.011s clear of Isack Hadjar, with Verstappen 0.031s in arrears from Charles Leclerc, Norris and George Russell, as Lewis Hamilton runs deep at the final chicane and is P9. Russell's second effort fails to move him up the order and still leaves the Briton more than one second slower than his Mercedes team mate, while a slow final sector after dipping a wheel in the gravel at Turn 14 prevents Verstappen from vaulting to the top of the times. The moment drags gravel onto the circuit, with a red flag briefly deployed to clear the track surface approaching the 15-minute mark. Hadjar becomes the first driver to use the soft tyre once running resumes, the Red Bull man posting a 1m 46.714s which leaves him only two-tenths faster than his previous effort. The benchmark is soon lowered further, with Verstappen and then Antonelli improving as the latter becomes the first driver to dip below the 1m 46s barrier - setting a 1m 45.944s. The two Ferraris of Hamilton and Leclerc sandwich Hadjar with their first runs on the red-walled Pirelli tyre, with Russell and Norris waiting until just before the halfway point before conducting a Qualifying simulation.
Russell only improves to P7 and remains 1.2 seconds slower than Antonelli, stating over the radio that the rears feel too cold, but not 1.2s cold. Moments later, Norris vaults into second and two tenths off top spot, with Franco Colapinto jumping up to P6 during a flurry of track activity as drivers and teams begin to switch focus on long runs and race simulations. A second red flag is deployed in the final 15 minutes as Gasly suffers a big off on the exit of Turn 13, the Frenchman bringing his Alpine to a stop with heavy rear damage. Despite the session resuming with two minutes remaining, there are no further improvements, meaning Antonelli heads Norris and Verstappen at the chequered flag, with the top six completed by Hamilton, Hadjar and Piastri. Alpine's Colapinto remains ahead of Russell, as the Racing Bulls of Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson complete the top 10. Kimi Antonelli believes there's still a lot of work to do as a team, despite the Italian and Mercedes finishing fastest in Friday practice ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix. The teenager enters this weekend with a 25-point lead in the Drivers' standings and finished as the fastest driver in Free Practice 2. It marked a turnaround for Mercedes, as both Antonelli and Russell struggled for performance in the opening one-hour practice session at Spa.
"We made big changes with the car and it was a lot better, so that's a good direction. Of course, there's still a lot of work to do as a team and as well with my driving. Was a much better session and now looking forward to tomorrow".
Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin admitted that the team had opted for a setup with not enough downforce in FP1, and that both of the drivers found it a bit of a handful in the first session. But while Antonelli was able to lead the times in the second session, Russell continued to struggle and finished P8 once again, but this time 1.2 seconds slower than his team mate and title rival. Says Shovlin:
"I don't think that gap is representative of what George is capable of. It wasn't a great lap, there's a couple of little issues that we need to pick into but he had only had one go at it. You can see a few places where he's under hit it and I think with such a tricky first session, it didn't leave them with great preparation for the second session. There's plenty we can see that will be relatively easy for him to solve on the data, I'm fairly sure he will be far closer tomorrow, if not a threat".
Max Verstappen shared his satisfaction at maximising Red Bull’s package during Friday's running at the Belgian Grand Prix, but admitted that the sessions also exposed the deficit to their rivals. The Dutchman got off to a strong start by topping the times in FP1, setting a benchmark of 1m 50.654s which was then beaten by Kimi Antonelli in the second hour of practice, in which Verstappen wound up in third place.
He reported struggling with his gear shifts, labelling them unbelievable after he drove wide onto a gravel trap, causing a momentary red flag pause in the action to clear up the stones spread across the track. Asked to sum up the day as a whole, Verstappen said:
"Pretty decent, I think. The balance is there straight away - just fine tuning a little bit with the car, which hopefully unlocks a little bit more pace. Honestly, I think from what we have as a package, it’s been a good day. We just focus on ourselves. Honestly, I cannot be disappointed or whatever. It’s been a good day for us. I’m not sure how much more there is in there compared to the others, but for me, feeling-wise it’s been alright. In the second practice you see a little bit more what the real gap is probably, but hopefully we can eke out of that a little bit towards Qualifying".
An additional challenge that Verstappen faced was relearning how to optimise the old specification rear wing, reintroduced by Red Bull after he suffered crashes caused by an updated faulty component in Austria and Great Britain. While he simply stated that the only change is the wing opens differently, the team’s Technical Director Pierre Wache went into more detail, explaining:
"Everybody saw the issue that we had in Silverstone. We are trying to reproduce this issue - we understand now, we try to fix the problem and try to bring back the wing as quick as possible because it’s a performance benefit. Our first priority is to make sure that the car is safe for the driver and for ourselves, and then we bring a normal activation rear wing that is a little bit down on performance but is able to run on the car. I think the balance is clearly far from perfect, which we have to work on, plus some degradation on the long runs that we have to work on. I think it’s a good starting point to improve".
Lando Norris believes that McLaren are still probably the fourth fastest car on the grid despite an encouraging day of practice ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix. The reigning World Champion finished second quickest on Friday at Spa-Francorchamps, just under two tenths slower than Kimi Antonelli in the day's second, one-hour session. Norris heads into the weekend knowing that he will also serve a 10-place grid drop for Sunday's race due to exceeding the permitted number of power electronic units, but that did not change how he or McLaren approached the sessions.
"We've not really changed anything this weekend, no reason for us to expect anything different. Red Bull don't normally turn up on Friday, so we're going to get two [cars in the mix] tomorrow, they'll be just as quick or if not quicker, so let's wait and see. I think we probably turned up with the Mercedes and the rest of them didn't, so I think we're still probably the fourth fastest. Seems like if we can get things right then we might be a little bit closer than we were in Silverstone".
Norris was delayed slightly at the beginning of FP1 due to car issues, while a hydraulic leak kept McLaren team mate Oscar Piastri in the garage for 20 minutes at the start of FP2. Despite showing impressive one-lap pace, Norris was sceptical whether this would remain throughout the weekend, while a red flag at the end of FP2 after a crash for Alpine's Pierre Gasly limited runs on high fuel.
"I think in terms of pace at the end we seemed good on one lap. We seemed reasonable but there's been quite a few times this season where we seem good enough in FP2 and we're off come Qualifying. Today was more just getting through our plan in FP1. Wasn't the cleanest FP1, we had a few problems and a few issues which didn't allow us to get out of the garage as quickly as we wanted to. Obviously would have been nice to get a few more laps in the end without the red flag to learn some more about high fuel. I think we made some improvements between the sessions and we have to see if we can do another step into FP3".
Lewis Hamilton believes that while Ferrari were lacking a little bit at times during Free Practice for the Belgian Grand Prix, they will be able to make the right changes and close the gap to their competitors overnight. The team found their feet early in the day with Hamilton taking P2 in Free Practice 1, finishing the hour 0.145s adrift of Max Verstappen’s benchmark, while the second Ferrari of Charles Leclerc secured P3.
However, the Scuderia fell behind drivers from Mercedes, Red Bull and McLaren in the later session, with Hamilton settling for fourth place. Leclerc struggled significantly more failed to place inside the top 10 after his quickest lap on soft tyres was deleted. Hamilton was nevertheless content with their overall performance as he said:
"Pretty good day in general. Positive, we made steps forward, relatively clean sessions. We made a couple of changes into FP2. The gap seems a bit bigger today, at least in FP2, than anticipated, but hopefully we can try and close that tomorrow. Overall, we generally feel good".
But with over seven-tenths separating him from Kimi Antonelli in FP2, the Briton admitted that the Scuderia have plenty to adjust overnight in order to take the fight to their rivals in Saturday’s Qualifying session.
"The others look really strong. Obviously Red Bull look really strong. Mercedes picked up a lot of pace in the sessions. McLaren were looking good as well so I really don’t know. As I said, the car feels pretty decent but we’re lacking a little bit in the middle sector for some reason. We’re just looking into why that is and see if we can pick that up tomorrow. I love driving this track, it’s amazing".
After securing victory in two out of the last three Grands Prix, Team Principal Fred Vasseur appeared keen to recognise that Friday’s results won’t necessarily be replicated in Qualifying, leaving the door open for Ferrari to claim a spot at the front once again.
"We know that fuel is mega important in terms of competitiveness - it means that we can’t compare with the others. We focus on ourselves, try to get the best from what we have and we’ll see tomorrow afternoon. If you have a look at the last four or five rounds, the classification on Friday is not really representative. We have a lot of work to do".
Despite the light turning green at the end of the pit lane at 1230 local time, there is no rush from drivers and teams to head out on track, as it takes until approaching the 20-minute mark for most of the field to appear in the sunny and dry conditions. Hamilton becomes the first of the leading runners to post a time, leaving the Ferrari driver fastest on a 1m 47.436s with Pirelli's soft tyre, as McLaren's Oscar Piastri is only fractions slower a few minutes later. Racing Bulls' Arvid Lindblad continues to impress as the rookie briefly moves to the top of the leaderboard, before Hamilton asserts himself as the fastest driver with a 1m 46.789s - but with Antonelli, Russell and Verstappen yet to venture out on track. Verstappen's opening salvo puts him second, four tenths adrift of Hamilton, but it takes until nearly 25 minutes to elapse before the Mercedes duo appears as the team looks to complete Qualifying simulations in more relevant conditions. Antonelli launches himself to the top of the times with a 1m 45.990s, leaving him eight tenths clear of Hamilton, but Russell can only manage P4, 1.2s adrift of his team mate and complains about a lack of straight-line speed, having lost six tenths in the first sector alone. Also suffering problems is Isack Hadjar, the Red Bull driver - who serves a grid penalty this weekend due to new power unit components - coming to a stop in the pit lane exit before being recovered to the garage. Once back out on track, Hadjar almost collides with the rear of Lance Stroll's Aston Martin into Turn 8, having locked up on his out lap before aborting his flying lap next time around, stating nothing is ready, everything is too cold. Russell is soon back out as well for a second attempt, and although improving in the first sector, is slower in the remaining two sectors to still sit one second behind Antonelli. Verstappen also improves inside the final 15 minutes, jumping up to P2 and within two tenths of Antonelli despite dipping a wheel in the gravel on the exit of Turn 9. Times continue to improve, as Russell moves to within four tenths of his team mate, but is quickly demoted back to P4 as Norris jumps ahead of both the Briton and Verstappen. Antonelli has to abort his second flying lap after running wide at La Source, reporting:
"I don't get the gear in".
Before going again inside the final 10 minutes and failing to improve after a big slide through the Les Combes chicane. It leaves the Italian's 1m 45.990s as the quickest time and less than two tenths clear of Norris, followed by Verstappen and Russell. Hamilton is P5 but the seven-time World Champion suffers a crash on his final lap in an incident similar to Pierre Gasly's crash in FP2. The Briton loses the rear through the left-hander of Turn 13, heads into the gravel and glances the barrier before bringing his damaged Ferrari to a stop down the road. Team mate Charles Leclerc is P6, with Piastri heading the Audis of Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto, as Hadjar finishes P10.
Teams and drivers have a short few hours to reset for Qualifying, with Ferrari especially under pressure to rebuild Hamilton’s car after he damages the rear in a crash earlier in FP3. Fortunately for the Briton, they are able to make the necessary changes to the suspension, floor and rear wing before the session begins. As the light at the end of the pit lane turns green, the Cadillac pair joins Stroll as the first cars to head out onto the circuit - all three are yet to progress to Q2 this season, leaving them eager to maximise their track time in the opening segment. Spa-Francorchamps presents the longest lap on the calendar, so many of the drivers elect to remain in their garages for the first few minutes in order to squeeze their two flying laps in. As a result, it isn’t until the 14-minute mark that the traffic starts to increase and Perez’s early benchmark is quickly beaten. With everyone on soft tyres, Verstappen becomes the first of the typical frontrunners to shoot to the top of the timesheets with a time of 1m 45.930s, which Antonelli is unable to match on his first effort. In fact, it is Racing Bulls’ Lindblad who gets closest to the Dutchman in the early stages. Hadjar, who is set to start Sunday’s race with a 20-place grid penalty, is next to slot in behind the lead Red Bull before Norris – another driver who will drop positions down the grid no matter his Qualifying result - claims the top spot. Everyone briefly returns to the pits to reset for their final attempts, with those at risk seeking significant improvements - Colapinto, Ocon, Perez, Bottas, Alonso and Stroll all find themselves in the elimination zone as they start their out laps. While the top three of Norris, Verstappen and Hadjar feel safe enough to not complete another lap, Colapinto is the only driver to climb into the top-16. He leaps up to P13, just behind his Alpine team mate who sets the fastest final sector of the session, demoting Albon to P17. The Williams man suffers his sixth Q1 exit in 10 rounds and is joined by Ocon, marking the 10th anniversary of his debut, both Cadillacs (Bottas taking P19 ahead of Perez) and both Aston Martins. Alonso qualifies 21st but will be relegated to the back of the grid due to his penalty for changing numerous power unit elements. It is another gradual start to Q2, but a queue eventually forms as everyone seeks a valuable place among the top 10 on the grid. All eyes are on Antonelli as he sets out to return to P1 after an underwhelming Q1 showing, which involves Russell getting ahead of him for the first time this weekend. The Italian appears to rediscover the pace that sees him thrive in FP2 and FP3 as he posts a lap of 1m 45.142s, but Russell struggles on his first lap and winds up a less-than-ideal 0.547s behind Antonelli.
Things go from bad to worse for the Briton as he tumbles down the order while Leclerc takes P2 for Ferrari, albeit still two-tenths off Antonelli’s time. Further back, Lindblad completes a stunning effort in his freshly upgraded car to seize P6, finding himself firmly in the mix with the likes of Verstappen and Piastri. Despite their strong finish to Q1, Alpine’s Gasly and Colapinto can’t escape from Q2 and end up 12th and 13th respectively, with Lawson narrowly missing out on 10th to an impressive lap by Bortoleto. Hulkenberg is knocked out in 14th for Audi and is seen pulling to the side of the track with a hydraulic leak after the chequered flag falls, subsequently delaying the start of the top-10 shootout. The final drivers who fail to progress are Williams’ Sainz and Haas’ Bearman. Everyone is ready and waiting for the beginning of Q3, but Piastri seems to think that Audi is a bit too keen to send Bortoleto out - the Australian reports over the radio that he spots about three unsafe releases in one as he patiently sits in the pit lane. Although he will start from the back of the grid due to his penalty, Hadjar takes part in the full Qualifying hour, with the reason made clear as he gives his team mate an extremely useful slipstream to hand Verstappen an early P1. However, Red Bull is no match for Antonelli, who claims a superb provisional pole position before Norris then goes even faster. His time of 1m 44.801s is the quickest of the weekend so far, with McLaren hoping that he qualifies as high as possible to minimise the impact of his own 10-place grid penalty. The session is temporarily halted to clear gravel at Stavelot before the action ramps up once again. With such tight margins, Antonelli, Verstappen, Russell and Lindblad all begin their laps with immense speed before the Dutchman’s effort is undone by a close moment with Hadjar, who is trying to offer another tow. It proves futile as Antonelli storms to pole position by 0.317s over Verstappen, while Norris finishes close behind in P3. Russell is next ahead of the Ferraris of Leclerc and Hamilton, who are separated by just 0.002s. Piastri, Lindblad, Bortoleto and Hadjar complete the top 10, with all except the Frenchman set to gain a position on the grid due to Norris’ penalty. Like McLaren, Red Bull chooses to replace some power unit elements on Hadjar’s car, leaving him to start towards the back of the grid.
Kimi Antonelli admitted that it wasn’t a straightforward journey to securing pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix, despite ultimately beating the competition by more than three-tenths. After setting the pace in FP2 and FP3, the Mercedes driver took some time to warm up during the session and lost out to rivals like Max Verstappen and George Russell in Q1, with the Briton finishing ahead of him for the first time this weekend. However, Antonelli quickly bounced back to top the times in the second segment of Qualifying before completing a sublime lap to deny both Verstappen and Lando Norris – his final effort of 1m 44.361s saw him outpace the lead Red Bull by an impressive 0.317s. After claiming his sixth pole of the season, Antonelli said:
"It's great to be on pole. It was not a very straightforward session - the track changed a lot but we were able to improve lap by lap and bring home pole which was nice. Of course, tomorrow is another day. I have Max starting next to me so it's going to be important to get a good start and then try to be ahead into Turn 5. The last lap was good, I improved a lot in Sector 2 especially. It was a nice lap. Of course, there was still a little bit here and there but it was very clean, so I’m very happy".
The Italian is looking to shake off a run of misfortune that led to his retirement in Barcelona, a missed opportunity for victory in Austria, and a non-scoring finish last time out at Silverstone. Aside from Mercedes’ reliability struggles, Antonelli has regularly converted pole position into race wins and is hoping to do the same again in the upcoming Belgian Grand Prix, which would help him increase the points gap at the top of the Drivers' standings.
"Good start and try to have good pace. Degradation of course is going to be very big but we try our best in order to maximise the performance. It’s going to be fun tomorrow".
He will have the opportunity to claim his first win since Monaco when the lights go out at 1500 local time on Sunday, July 19 at Spa-Francorchamps. Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar have reflected on Red Bull's tow strategy during Qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix, with the latter suggesting it was the right thing to do. Hadjar will start at the back of the grid Sunday's race in Spa after multiple power unit components were changed on his Red Bull, but the team decided to use the Frenchman to aid Verstappen's bid for pole. On both Q3 laps, Hadjar backed off through Stavelot and gave Verstappen a tow to the final chicane, with the second attempt proving perfect as the pair almost touched through Blanchimont.
"It was definitely helping me otherwise I would not be standing here. Otherwise I think you're like P6 or something. I think Isack today, knowing that he will start at the back of the grid, he did a really good job giving me a tow in the final sector. That's why we're standing right here".
Despite not setting a lap in Q3 due to helping Verstappen, Hadjar believes the team made the right decision to boost the Dutchman's chances for the race.
"I don't know if I really helped him into second, probably, but he drove very well and anyway he would have been at the front but to give that bonus was definitely the right thing to do. I'm happy for the team, I'm happy for him".
Verstappen finished more than three tenths adrift of polesitter Kimi Antonelli on Saturday, as the same margin behind the four-time World Champion covered five cars down to Oscar Piastri's McLaren in P7.
"For sure tomorrow, I think I will be looking in my mirrors with the people around me but at least today we had a really good result. I think the car honestly has been quite decent the whole weekend. Of course not on the level maybe as Kimi, but we're happy of course to be on the front row with how we executed as a team".
Mercedes driver George Russell was left to rue super frustrating issues after Qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix - the Briton believing that it is currently impossible to challenge team mate Kimi Antonelli. Russell ended Saturday’s grid-deciding session more than half a second down on Antonelli, explaining how the speed deficits he encountered on the straights at Silverstone appear to have carried over to Spa-Francorchamps. Asked for his feelings when he jumped out of the car, Russell said:
"Well, that felt good to be honest. But we’ve just been dealing with an issue with the straight-line speed ever since Silverstone, and we thought we found the problem - changed it, it wasn’t the problem. We thought it was the driving style, and tried different driving styles, it wasn’t the solution. The losses are just astronomical at the moment but, after looking at the data, I feel positive with the job I did. My lap, if you just take the corners, they were very good".
Pushed on how frustrating it feels, given his title-contending ambitions, and the 25-point gap to Antonelli, Russell opened up further on the predicament he has found himself in.
"It’s super frustrating, you know. Battling against Kimi at the best of times is very tough in a fair fight. When we’re in this situation, it’s impossible. You’re losing all the lap time in the straights, the team are working so hard to try and pinpoint what it is, because it can be a million things. It’s not just the engine is slow. It can be the drag or something binding, is it the bearings, is it the power unit, is it the battery, is it the wings, is it the floor? There are a million different things. I was trying a karting strategy of putting my head down to see if that helped but it didn’t".
Russell will at least move up a spot on Sunday’s grid, to start directly behind Antonelli and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, with McLaren rival Lando Norris serving a penalty for an engine change. Toto Wolff admits that some of George Russell's deficit to Mercedes team mate Kimi Antonelli in Qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix is not his fault. Antonelli claimed his sixth pole position of the season on Saturday in Spa, beating Max Verstappen to the fastest time by more than three tenths. While Antonelli will start from the front row once again, Russell was only able to qualify P4, but will be promoted a spot due to a 10-place grid penalty for Lando Norris. Russell complained about straight-line speed through all three practice sessions and was left half a second adrift in Qualifying, with Wolff admitting that the Briton lacked top speed compared with his Italian team mate.
"George is obviously suffering from a lack of straight-line speed we are unable to explain - a couple of tenths. We’ve literally left no stone unturned. Is it the power unit? Kimi has a brand-new power unit and this makes the difference? We will see on the next tracks because they will be less energy starved, it doesn’t make a big difference. Then there’s a few tenths that George needs to find, lots of it he has already found but over a few corners there’s still two tenths, two and a half tenths. So overall, he’s recovered well but at the moment he doesn’t gel with the car. He hasn’t for the last two weekends and that’s probably not his fault, we just need to bring it together".
Antonelli holds a 25-point lead in the Drivers' standings ahead of Sunday's race, despite having non-scored in two of the last three races due to car problems. Wolff admitted that despite this, the momentum was still behind the Italian teenager as he looks for his sixth Grands Prix win this season.
"He was born to do this. He’s in a way reflective, calm, when the situation doesn’t work out. There’s not much complication around him. They do the work with race engineers Bono and Stefan and his ability to compartmentalise, analyse, put it aside and then just go. Also, obviously he has the momentum behind him. It’s much easier if you are the underdog a bit - the young kid - things are going easier than being the one who is expected to perform".
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton believe they can challenge for podium finishes in the Belgian Grand Prix, with the Ferrari duo set to start from P4 and P5. Having taken victory last time out in the British Grand Prix, Leclerc was hopeful of challenging towards the front in Qualifying on Saturday, with Silverstone and Spa sharing similar circuit characteristics. But the Monegasque driver had to lift off due to a yellow flag into the final chicane on his last effort, meaning he could only qualify P5, which becomes fourth after Lando Norris' grid penalty.
"It is the way it is, I lifted off and I probably lost a bit of lap time there".
When asked if he could challenge for the podium in Sunday's race, Leclerc added:
"It's going to be tricky. I think our power unit, we know what we have a slight disadvantage on a track like this and we'll have to try and maximise everything and hopefully a podium is possible".
Hamilton finished directly behind his team mate, with the seven-time World Champion's mechanics racing against time to repair his Ferrari after a crash at the very end of Free Practice 3. Hamilton lost the rear through Turn 13 before skating through the gravel and glancing the barrier, which caused significant damage to the right hand side of his Ferrari.
"Massively grateful to the team. The guys were stretched to make sure they got the car ready. The car was feeling the best it felt all weekend in FP3, then unfortunately I had to go and damage it. It wasn’t the same car when I got back out; unfortunately not identical in terms of balance. But I got the best I could out of what I had. Still optimistic for tomorrow. I think there’s a chance, there’s all sorts of chances tomorrow to try and see if we can get on the podium. That’d be awesome".
Lando Norris was enthused by his performance during Qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix as he delivered one of the best laps I’ve ever done, though he will not be able to fully reap the rewards due to a grid penalty. Before any track action took place at Spa-Francorchamps, McLaren confirmed that Norris would have to serve a 10-place grid drop after they chose to fit a new power electronics unit to his car, thereby exceeding the permitted allocation for the component. The decision coincided with an increase in pace for the Briton, who seized provisional pole before Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen bumped him down to P3, which will become P13 on race day. Norris then aborted his second flying lap after going wide and rattling over the gravel at the Fagnes Chicane, where Lewis Hamilton and Pierre Gasly both crashed earlier in the weekend - but Norris’ initial time was still enough to remain third on the timesheets. Asked to summarise the session, Norris said:
"Very good actually - pretty surprised to be P3. My lap was a pretty mega lap. It was probably one of the best laps I’ve ever done in Qualifying so I’m pretty happy with today. It’s just a shame I start P13 tomorrow. It doesn’t matter too much but I’ve been happy all weekend. I feel like I’ve been doing a good job all weekend. I’m getting the most out of the car and I feel like I did that again today. P3 was certainly the best we could achieve".
McLaren chose to implement the updated component to address the reliability issues that saw Norris experience failures in China, Japan and Monaco, and selected the Belgian Grand Prix due to its overtaking opportunities. Nevertheless, the reigning World Champion insisted that he’s keeping his expectations low and will target another valuable points haul.
"We can certainly move forward, but how far into the top eight is a different question. I think it was an amazing lap to put me P3 but it wasn’t like I was miles ahead of the others - I was like half a tenth or a tenth. If you’re half a tenth or a tenth quicker, especially with the lap that I did, we’re probably not actually quicker than them. I don’t expect to have an incredible chance to get high up the order tomorrow, but I think if we can get in the top six maybe, that would be amazing. If it’s just the top eight, then I think that’s what we should expect".
While Norris made an impression over one lap, the second McLaren of Oscar Piastri appeared to struggle more as he finished the session in P7, just over two tenths adrift of his team mate. The Australian has enjoyed strong results at the circuit in the past, having won the 2025 event, but he admitted that he was missing speed and hadn’t felt at ease in his car throughout the sessions so far.
"It’s not been particularly easy all weekend, to be honest. I’m struggling with the balance of the car but today in particular has been a pretty big grind to try and get any lap time out of it, so not an easy day. We’ll see what we can do tomorrow. In terms of race pace, it’s hard to know with everybody because no one did any proper running in FP2 - certainly Lando and I didn’t. It’s tricky to know. I think we’re probably third or fourth quickest but I think the order is very tight so we can make a difference somehow".
Spa-Francorchamps plays host to all manner of drama over the years, and plenty has already occurred before the drivers line up for this season’s 44-lap affair - Hamilton and Gasly crash at the tricky Fagnes Chicane, forcing both Alpine and Ferrari to rebuild their cars over the weekend. Elsewhere, it is confirmed that a total of five drivers take grid penalties for taking on new power unit components that exceed the permitted allocation. Alonso is joined on the back row by Hadjar, who demonstrates great pace in the sessions leading up to race day, while Sainz and Stroll start ahead in P19 and P20 respectively. But arguably the most frustrated penalised driver is McLaren’s Norris, who makes the most of his updated engine by storming to P3 in Qualifying but having to settle for a P13 grid slot on race day. He later insists that the goal is a top-six finish, but it remains to be seen just how much the Briton can achieve. The chance of rain is still low despite the dark clouds hovering above the circuit, but one factor that could impact the afternoon is the cooler temperature, which has gradually dropped over the course of the weekend. Pirelli originally expects the two-stop strategy to be a popular choice thanks to thermal tyre degradation. When the tyre blankets are removed prior to the formation lap, it is revealed that the majority have opted to start on the medium compound, with Norris the first on hard tyres. He is joined by Perez, Stroll, Hadjar and Alonso while Bottas and Sainz go for the bold choice of the red-walled soft tyres. As the formation lap gets underway, reports spread that rain is closing in on the track despite the forecast low chance, but everyone remains on slick tyres for the beginning of the race. Polesitter Antonelli executes a quick formation lap and is forced to wait on the grid as the other 21 cars settle into position, but when the five red lights finally go out, he initially clings onto the lead ahead of Verstappen. However, the Dutchman gets an excellent launch and snatches first place heading into Eau Rouge, before Antonelli uses the superior pace of his Mercedes to reclaim his original position down the Kemmel Straight. While the pair spar at the front, Leclerc surges through to take P3 as Russell loses speed and drops behind both Ferraris.
He tries to come back at Hamilton in Turn 6, where he darts across the track and ultimately beaches his car in the gravel trap after contact, resulting in a Safety Car as he abandons his race. Hamilton reports that he is right behind another car so has no front end in the incident. Meanwhile, Ocon falls to the back of the order after making contact with Sainz and his Haas team mate in two separate moments, which causes the Frenchman a front left puncture. With the Safety Car deployed, a number of drivers including Hadjar, Bearman and both Cadillacs choose to pit for fresh tyres, with the race commencing again at the start of Lap 5. Antonelli bravely decides to go early at the front of the pack and maintains his spot ahead of Leclerc and Verstappen, but a thrilling battle is developing further behind - Hamilton surges ahead of Piastri at La Source on the restart before the Australian shoots back through for P4 just a few metres later. Outside of the top five, Racing Bulls are enjoying a fantastic opening stint as Lawson and Lindblad have improved to P6 and P7 respectively, getting stuck into a three-way fight with Alpine’s Colapinto. Verstappen is also gaining on Leclerc and finds a way past heading into Les Combes, maximizing the performance of his Red Bull despite running an older specification rear wing. Next up in the Dutchman's sights is race leader Antonelli, who has failed to escape up the road and holds a slim advantage of around a second. Just as Bearman reports that it looks like Sainz’s wing is hanging off - presumably due to his early incident with Ocon, Leclerc comes under pressure from Piastri for the final podium spot and the pair make contact, flicking a piece of carbon fibre onto the circuit. The McLaren man insists that Leclerc doesn't leave enough space and adds that he could have caused a massive crash, but neglects to take into account that their scrap has allowed Hamilton to rapidly close up. He overtakes Piastri and improves to P4 before claiming the fastest lap of the race, but his impressive drive is soon put at risk as he is handed a five-second time penalty for causing the collision that rules Russell out of the Grand Prix. Further back, Norris is on the charge after beginning outside of the top 10, using the durability of his hard tyres to run in seventh place by Lap 11.
That quickly becomes sixth as he clears Racing Bulls’ Lindblad, leaving him 7s adrift of his McLaren team mate who has been informed that he has sustained damage from the touch with Leclerc. The Monegasque is still under investigation and faces the added frustration of Hamilton repeatedly attempting to pass him on track, with the Briton asserting over the radio that he is quicker and has more pace, hinting at a desire for team orders to be implemented. The order begins to shuffle as Gasly and Sainz head into the pits, giving Williams the opportunity to change the Spaniard’s front wing at the same time. However, Sainz is far from happy with the decision and claims that he doesn't approve it, adding that the damage is to the floor instead. He isn't the only driver struggling, as Cadillac adds another retirement to their season tally for Perez who suggests his suspension is broken. There is some good news for Leclerc, however, as it is ruled that there will be no repercussions for his contact with Piastri. The gaps at the front have begun to stabilise before Verstappen becomes the first contender to pit on Lap 18, likely as a response to the lack of a penalty for Leclerc. He drops from P2 to P6 just before the Virtual Safety Car is deployed to clear debris on track. It doesn't last long enough for anyone to benefit in the pits, but Antonelli nevertheless covers off Verstappen by changing his tyres and comes back out in fifth place - maintaining the net race lead behind the Ferrari and McLaren duos. Norris manages to overtake his team mate at the Bus Stop, but Piastri isn't ready to give up P3 and fights back in a mirror image of their 2025 battle, just before the Virtual Safety Car makes another appearance to neutralise the field. On this occasion, there is more than enough time for Ferrari to take advantage and they call both drivers into the pits. While Hamilton has to serve his penalty (and accidentally hits one of the team’s mechanics on his release, who is thankfully uninjured), the gamble plays out perfectly for Leclerc, who emerges ahead of Antonelli to seize the on-track advantage. Running in first place, Norris is the sole driver yet to bolt on new tyres at the halfway point and starts to suffer the consequences – Leclerc easily passes him towards the end of the Kemmel Straight, putting him in the ideal place to secure back-to-back wins.
Antonelli joins him to demote Norris to third place shortly after it is announced that Hamilton will be investigated after the race for an unsafe release. Despite repeated complaints about his tyres, Verstappen is the next to find a way past the McLaren on Lap 29. Still on his original hard tyres, Norris is told not to get involved in any yo-yo racing with Piastri, who is running behind in fifth from Hamilton, Hadjar, Bortoleto, Lindblad and Gasly at the 30-lap mark. There is an incredible tussle for the final point that sees both Alpines and Lawson go three-wide, with Colapinto finding a way to leapfrog his way into P10, but the gaps between the trio remain close. After patiently waiting for a Safety Car, McLaren finally gives in and boxes Norris on Lap 31. He endures an agonisingly slow stop as he switches onto the medium compound, dropping him to P8 before overtaking Audi’s Bortoleto. While Norris is firmly out of victory contention, the same cannot be said for Antonelli, who massively reduces Leclerc’s lead and powers past with 10 laps to go to reclaim first place, where he stays for the remainder despite the Ferrari driver’s best efforts to cling on. The gap is as close as half a second at times, but he ultimately finishes 1.9s adrift of Antonelli, with Verstappen securing the final podium position for Red Bull. Hamilton grabs P4 from Piastri on the final laps while Hadjar and Norris bounce back from their grid penalties to take P6 and P7. Audi’s Bortoleto enjoys a second consecutive points finish in eighth as Lindblad and Colapinto complete the top 10. George Russell branded his Belgian Grand Prix weekend as not good enough, after the Mercedes driver was eliminated on the opening lap following a collision with Lewis Hamilton. The Briton started third for Sunday's 44-lap race at Spa-Francorchamps, having struggled with a straight-line speed deficit to team mate and Drivers' championship leader, Kimi Antonelli, throughout the weekend. While polesitter Antonelli battled Max Verstappen for the lead on the opening lap, Russell was overtaken along the Kemmel Straight by the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Hamilton. Russell attempted to go around the outside of Hamilton into Les Combes on the brakes, but the pair made contact through the right and left sequence. The Mercedes driver was pitched into the gravel and out of the race, while the Ferrari man was handed a five-second penalty for the incident.
"It all started from the build up. I came out of Turn 1, for whatever reason I was 30%-40% down on my battery and I just got totally swamped by three cars. The incident with Lewis, I've not really seen it. I thought it was probably a racing incident. I'm not going to blame Lewis. If things were normal, I wouldn't have been battling with Lewis, I would have been battling with Kimi and Max ahead".
Russell entered this weekend 25 points behind Antonelli and admitted that he needed more from Mercedes in order to challenge his team mate.
"It's one thing after another, after another, after another. Not good enough on all regards. Try and reset again, done it enough times this season and see what we can do".
Kimi Antonelli believes he has got to take every opportunity possible in the title battle, with victory in the Belgian Grand Prix extending his margin over team mate George Russell to 50 points after the Briton retired. Antonelli claimed his sixth win of the season during Sunday's 44-lap race at Spa-Francorchamps, and his first since the Monaco Grand Prix after two non-scores in the previous three races due to car problems. Having briefly lost the lead from pole position on the exit of La Source to Max Verstappen, Antonelli was back in P1 before Les Combes and controlled the opening stint before making his first pit stop. The Italian teenager had to fight back into the lead, though, after Charles Leclerc was able to pit under a short Virtual Safety car and get ahead of the Mercedes, with Antonelli only regaining the lead 10 laps from the end.
"It's great to be back on the top step after obviously a few difficult rounds. Was a hard-fought race. We lost first place with a VSC but then we managed to make our way back. Was a tough win because Charles was quick and we had to hold onto that".
The win proved even more significant as Russell was eliminated on the opening lap after a collision with Lewis Hamilton - the Ferrari driver being handed a five-second penalty for the incident. Antonelli now sits 45 points ahead of Hamilton, who finished fourth but with an unsafe pit release investigation looming, and a further five ahead of Russell.
"I think the momentum was always there. Was just about getting the result and today we were a bit lucky in terms of what happened with the championship but that's why you've got to take every opportunity. We saw that it can swing really easily, the situation, so we [have] just got to keep performing, keep bringing the result and we'll see what happens at the end of the year".
Toto Wolff admits that sometimes our best is not good enough after a bittersweet Belgian Grand Prix for Mercedes, as Kimi Antonelli won and George Russell retired. Antonelli claimed his sixth win of the season in Sunday's 44-lap race at Spa-Francorchamps, overtaking Charles Leclerc with 10 laps remaining as the Ferrari made up time and positions with a pit stop under a Virtual Safety Car.
"Obviously super happy for Kimi and he managed to win. He was strong all weekend. He probably should have won at Silverstone and DNF'd, so that is an absolutely merited win. We thought we had the pace but the VSC again overturned it and Charles was ahead. But a super mature drive, he just eked away tenth by tenth every lap and that was really good to see".
While Antonelli stood on the top step, it was an early finish for Russell who was eliminated after a collision with Lewis Hamilton on the opening lap at Les Combes.
The Briton had started third but was swamped on the run out of La Source and up Eau Rouge due to a lack of full power, with Wolff confirming that there was a problem.
"We had a problem with all Mercedes engines at the start, they didn't deploy all the power that they should have had. It's something we need to get under control".
Russell's retirement means he sits 50 points behind Antonelli in the Drivers' standings, having also complained about a lack of straight-line speed throughout the weekend compared with his Italian team mate. Wolff acknowledged there was an issue and that every effort was being made to ensure parity between his drivers.
"That is something hopefully we have sorted but again we are racing, straight-line speed differences can happen. We're trying to give it our best and sometimes our best is not good enough. Sometimes it is good enough, but one thing is we are all pushing extra hard".
Charles Leclerc has conceded that he believed in the win until the end of the Belgian Grand Prix, which saw him finish close behind Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli after surging into victory contention. After standing on the top step last time out at Silverstone, Leclerc had faith that Ferrari could take the fight to the Silver Arrows once again, but he faced a frustrating setback as he slowed on his final lap in Qualifying due to a yellow flag. He was nevertheless able to shake off the disappointment of starting fourth by displacing George Russell on the opening lap to take third, before chasing down Red Bull’s Max Verstappen to gain another position. The Dutchman fought his way back through to leave Leclerc in the clutches of Oscar Piastri, with the pair getting into a nervy scrap that saw the McLaren sustain damage. Fortunately for Leclerc, he escaped without punishment, allowing Ferrari to make the most of a Virtual Safety Car and call him into the pits before sending him back out in front of Antonelli.
"I believed in the win until the end. We had a little bit of luck obviously with the VSC at the right time for us but the pace was relatively strong".
With Russell failing to score following his race-ending collision with the second Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton, Leclerc’s podium has tightened up the battle in the Drivers' standings even further as he now sits 28 points behind Russell, and 33 off his own team mate. Despite the positive momentum that the Scuderia are building, the Monegasque added that they still have issues to tackle in order to mount a long-term challenge against Mercedes - especially after they made the rare choice not to introduce any upgrades this weekend. Leclerc explained:
"There's been some five, six laps on the hard where I've been struggling with the front axle and then it came back a little bit. I felt better with the car, there's still some work to do but surely it's a step forward".
Fred Vasseur admits that Ferrari were not expecting this kind of result in the Belgian Grand Prix, with Charles Leclerc finishing second and Lewis Hamilton just missing out on the podium. Ferrari entered the weekend at Spa-Francorchamps having won two out of the last three races, with Hamilton winning in Barcelona and Leclerc finishing first last time out at Silverstone. Leclerc's win in particular was a surprise to the team, given Ferrari's lack of straight-line speed compared with Mercedes on a high-speed track layout. During Sunday's 44-lap race, a pit stop under a Virtual Safety Car moved Leclerc up from P3 into the lead before the Monegasque driver conceded the position to finish second behind Kimi Antonelli.
"I think overall, it's a very strong result for the team. We were not expecting this kind of result at Silverstone and Spa due to the layout of the track. We had good results. I think overall as a team, we did a good job with execution, good strategy, good pit stop. I think on the chassis side we are doing a strong job, we are bringing upgrades. It's paying off, small steps but small step by small step, we are catching up".
Hamilton finished fourth but faces a post-race investigation for an unsafe release, after he caught a mechanic with his front-right tyre when leaving the pit box. The Briton also pitted behind Leclerc under the VSC but had to remain stationary for five-seconds after being handed a time penalty for an opening lap collision with George Russell, which resulted in the Mercedes driver retiring.
"I think it's a bit harsh because it's Lap 1, so far into the season there was no penalty for similar. If you have a look on the corner at Russell, he had space on the left-hand side. It's not that he was close to the wall. I think it's more a racing incident for me".
Max Verstappen gave it everything to secure third place in the Belgian Grand Prix, with the Red Bull driver ruing his misfortune after the team failed to capitalise on the timing of a Virtual Safety Car. Verstappen arrived at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps with an old specification rear wing bolted onto his car, which Red Bull were forced to use after their upgraded component caused crashes for the Dutchman in Austria and Great Britain. But reverting to a previous design didn’t seem to hamper him as he claimed a spot on the front row alongside polesitter Kimi Antonelli, partly thanks to his team mate’s efforts to provide a tow in the final segment of Qualifying. Verstappen used the position to momentarily take the lead before dropping back into P2, and later became the first of the frontrunners to pit for fresh tyres, narrowly missing out on a chance to save time when a short Virtual Safety Car was deployed to clear gravel from the track.
The strategy left Verstappen somewhat in no man’s land as he couldn’t keep up with the ensuing battle for victory between Antonelli and Charles Leclerc, and simultaneously wasn’t under any significant pressure from Lewis Hamilton in P4. Asked whether he was happy with the result, the Dutchmand replied:
"I think so. I tried everything I could in the race. The first stint wasn't too bad, second stint probably a little bit more difficult but at the same time, I think Kimi and I were unlucky with the VSC as well. I think for us to be on the podium is very good. I gave it everything I had and I think P3 is good. I hope that we have more weekends like this where it’s just a bit more straightforward to work with the car, which was a lot nicer".
His performance formed part of a promising weekend for Red Bull as Isack Hadjar recovered in style after a grid penalty left him to start from P21. He patiently drove his way through the field and stayed out of trouble to cross the line in sixth place, adding a valuable eight championship points to his tally.
"Honestly, that was the best result we could’ve achieved today. There’s not much to talk about really - it was just perfect execution and I’m very happy. It’s frustrating because I feel like if it wasn’t for that engine penalty, we should’ve qualified a bit higher up and then probably fought for a podium".
Ferrari have been fined following an incident during the Belgian Grand Prix, where Lewis Hamilton knocked down a mechanic as he was unsafely released from his pit box. On Lap 20 of Sunday's race the Ferrari driver - carrying a five-second penalty at the time following his first-lap contact with Mercedes' George Russell - pitted under the Virtual Safety Car that had been deployed. Having waited five seconds to serve his penalty, all four tyres were subsequently changed on Hamilton's car.
However, a mechanic operating a front wing tool moved forward into the path of the car's front-right tyre as Hamilton was released from his stop. As a result the mechanic was struck and fell to the floor, with Hamilton immediately stopping until the mechanic was clear. He was not injured in the incident. Following the conclusion of the Belgian Grand Prix, the Stewards subsequently investigated the unsafe release and decided to hand Ferrari a fine of €30.000 of which €10.000 is suspended for 12 months. Read the Stewards' document:
"As Car 44 was being released from its pit stop, a mechanic stepped in the path of the front right tyre as the F1 Car moved forward. He fell but was not injured. The team explained the incident occurred in the context of a complex and unusual combination of circumstances. HAM had been issued a 5 second time penalty for a driving infringement which had to be served before work could commence on the F1 Car. LEC was in his pit box at the point HAM entered the pit lane. HAM told his engineer that he wanted a front wing adjustment but that was not conveyed to the super controller. HAM came into his pit box, served the time penalty and at the end of the 5 seconds one member of the team announced Go and then 0.6 degrees, the former being an instruction to commence the pit stop and the latter being an instruction for a wing adjustment. The tyre change was completed, the jack-man dropped the F1 Car and the super controller activated the green light signal for Car 44 to move off. Just as the driver moved off, another mechanic with a front wing tool moved forward into the path of the front right tyre. Before he stepped forward he had his head down looking at the tool and did not see the green light. The team acknowledged that for Car 44 to have been released in these circumstances was unsafe and attributed the error to an inappropriately late instruction for the wing adjustment, a lack of clear communication and the mechanic’s failure to notice the green light. The team committed to undertaking a review of their pit stop procedures to ensure an incident such as this will not be repeated".
The Stewards' also confirmed that Hamilton was not at fault and that the incident did not justify a sporting penalty but did justify a significant fine. The suspended portion of the fine is on condition that Ferrari does not commit a similar infringement in the 12 month time span and on further condition that Ferrari submit a report to the FIA with regard to the incident and the protocols introduced to mitigate the risk of an incident occurring in the future. Lewis Hamilton believes his collision with George Russell on the opening lap of the Belgian Grand Prix was a racing incident, as the Ferrari driver was handed a penalty for the clash. Hamilton started fifth for Sunday's 44-lap race at Spa-Francorchamps and overtook Russell along the Kemmel Straight as the Mercedes driver struggled with deploying power. Russell moved to the outside of Hamilton into the braking zone of Les Combes before the pair made contact, with Russell being pitched into the gravel and out of the race. While Russell placed no blame on Hamilton for the collision, the stewards handed the seven-time World Champion a five-second time penalty.
"Ultimately, sorry for George because that obviously ended his race, but I did think… I do agree that it was a racing incident. It’s not like I went in aggressive and was misplaced or anything like that. I think it was just an unfortunate scenario, which happens in racing. Then I had damage as well, so I carried that through the race. It was a tough one".
Hamilton endured a difficult weekend in Belgium, suffering a crash at the very end of Free Practice 3 which put his mechanics in a race against time to repair his car for Qualifying. During the race, the Briton made his pit stop under a Virtual Safety Car and served his five-second penalty, but hit a mechanic as he left the pit box with his front-right wheel. The incident was investigated post-race, with Ferrari handed a fine that meant he kept his fourth place, leaving him 45 points behind race winner and Drivers' Championship leader, Kimi Antonelli.
"Hugely grateful for the points given the damage and given the crash yesterday. Ultimately, not a good weekend from my side. I think my race pace was strong today and I think without the damage, and probably without yesterday, I think we could have been fighting for the win today. Even with the damage I was challenging Charles. It is what is, we move on, and hope we can have a better weekend next weekend".