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Championship leader Kimi Antonelli returned to winning ways at the Belgian Grand Prix with a victory from pole position at Spa-Francorchamps.
The Mercedes driver is now 45 points clear of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton at the top of the standings after team-mate George Russell collided with fourth-placed Hamilton on the opening lap.
Russell finished third in the championship, 50 points behind Antonelli.
Here are my ratings for how the drivers performed throughout the weekend in Belgium.
Kimi Antonelli – 9.5/10
A near-perfect weekend from Mercedes’ championship leader. Topped in two of the three practice sessions and delivered pole positions by more than three-tenths of a second. Charles Leclerc was rescued from the virtual safety car just in time to pass and take the win.
Charles Leclerc – 8.5/10
Ferrari made the most of what they had and came closer than anyone to denying Antonelli the race win. Mercedes kept the driver honest after losing the lead despite benefiting from the Virtual Safety Car, although contact with Oscar Piastre was an untidy moment.
Max Verstappen – 8/10
A great start briefly gave him the lead and he comfortably secured another podium for Red Bull. Qualified on the front row and drove a strong race, but ultimately couldn’t match Antonelli when it mattered.
Lewis Hamilton – 6/10
Lots of pace but lots of drama. Recovered from his heavy final-practice crash and penalty for hitting George Russell in fourth place, but an overall sloppy Sunday prevented it from being rated a strong weekend.
Oscar Piastre – 6.5/10
Leclerc suffered damage after contact but stayed in the fight and brought home a useful fifth place. A fourth loss to Hamilton was a late loss in a weekend where he was not as comfortable as McLaren teammate Lando Norris.
Isak Hazor – 9/10
One of the drives in the race. Charged from 21st to sixth on the grid with aggressive tactics and held off Norris at the end to secure a massive result for Red Bull.
Lando Norris – 7.5/10
Qualifying third showed McLaren had real pace, although his late Q3 mistake saw him challenge Antonelli. He recovered well from his grid penalty but a long first stint and a slow pit stop left him only slightly clear of Hajjar.
Gabriel Bortoletto – 8/10
Another great weekend for Audi drivers. Reached Q3, stayed out of trouble and made eighth on the grid his second consecutive points
Arvid Lindblad – 7.5/10
A strong qualifying performance saw him finish eighth and he delivered another mature drive in the points. The Racing Bulls had one of the fastest midfield cars, but Lindblad still had to hold his nerve to make the most of it.
Franco Colapinto – 8/10
Excellent work for claiming the final point. Pierre Gasly made a decisive move during a three-way battle with Liam Lawson and once again got the better of his more experienced Alpine teammate.
