Leclerc second, Hamilton fourth in Belgian Grand Prix as Antonelli wins
Charles Leclerc finished second and Lewis Hamilton fourth in the Belgian Grand Prix, with Andrea Kimi Antonelli taking his maiden F1 victory at Spa-Francorchamps.
- 2nd
- 4th
- 5 seconds
- 1
What Happened
Scuderia Ferrari HP drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton started fourth and fifth on the grid respectively for the Belgian Grand Prix, the tenth round of the 2026 Formula One season. Both drivers began on Medium tyres. Leclerc gained two positions at the start, moving up to second, while Hamilton made contact with George Russell at the chicane, forcing Russell into retirement and prompting a Safety Car.
At restart, Leclerc drops to third after being overtaken by Verstappen; Hamilton fights for fourth with Piastri.
Hamilton passes Piastri to take fourth place.
Virtual Safety Car due to debris; both Ferrari drivers pit for Hard tyres. Leclerc rejoins second, Hamilton serves five-second penalty and drops to sixth.
Leclerc passes Norris to take the lead.
Antonelli passes Leclerc; Leclerc drops to second.
2nd
Led one lap before being overtaken by race winner Antonelli.
4th
Served a five-second time penalty for earlier contact with Russell.
Previously from Ferrari N.V.
Leclerc and Hamilton started fourth and fifth on the grid after Lando Norris's grid penalty promoted them from fifth and sixth in qualifying.
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Ferrari N.V.'s official releases.
Why this matters
Ferrari secured a podium finish but missed a potential win, as Leclerc led briefly before being overtaken by Antonelli. The result boosts Ferrari's constructors' championship standing while showcasing competitive race pace.
Terms in This Story
- Safety Car
- A car deployed during a race to slow down the field and neutralize the race under caution, typically after an incident.
- Virtual Safety Car
- A procedure where drivers must reduce speed and maintain a delta time to a safe speed, without a physical safety car on track.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.