Antonelli holds 25-point lead as F1 returns to Spa-Francorchamps
Leclerc’s British Grand Prix victory keeps Ferrari in contention as Hamilton chases historic eighth title
Formula One returns to the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps for the Belgian Grand Prix, marking round 10 of the 2026 season. The event, scheduled for 17–19 July, sees Kimi Antonelli leading the drivers’ championship with 179 points. He holds a 25-point advantage over his Mercedes teammate, George Russell, who sits in second place with 154 points.
Antonelli enters the Belgian weekend with a comfortable margin despite a frustrating performance at the previous British Grand Prix at Silverstone, where he finished outside the points. His lead provides a buffer as the championship battle intensifies between Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull.
Charles Leclerc secured Ferrari’s first victory of the season at the British Grand Prix, finishing ahead of Russell and Lewis Hamilton. The result keeps the Scuderia in the fight for the constructors’ title, although Leclerc currently sits fourth in the standings with 108 points.
Hamilton trails Russell by seven points as he pursues a record-breaking eighth world championship. The Mercedes driver finished third at Silverstone, where Lando Norris also finished just off the podium. Norris missed out on a win at Spa last year, losing to his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri.
The championship standings show a significant gap between the top contenders and the rest of the field. Isack Hadjar of Racing Bulls is eighth with 52 points, followed by Liam Lawson in tenth with 39 points. Further down the order, Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) has 20 points, Franco Colapinto (Alpine) has 18, and Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) has just one. Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac) and Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) remain on zero points.
Broadcasting arrangements for the race include live coverage on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom, with coverage starting at 12:30pm BST on Sunday. Subscribers can access the event via the Sky Go app, while non-subscribers may purchase a NOWTV Day Pass. In the United States, all practice, qualifying, and race sessions will be streamed on Apple TV.
The calendar ahead includes races at the Circuit of the Americas from 23–25 October, Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez from 30 October–1 November, Interlagos from 6–8 November, the Las Vegas Street Circuit from 19–21 November, and the Lusail International Circuit from 27–29 November.
