Brundle: Antonelli dominates at Spa as Hamilton-Russell clash sparks penalty debate

Kimi Antonelli delivered a dominant "class of one" victory at the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix, giving Mercedes their eighth win of a remarkable season. Behind him, a contentious first-lap clash between Lewis Hamilton and George Russell ignited stewarding debate, while the Spa weekend again exposed frustration with F1's current power unit philosophy.

Why it matters:

Antonelli's win gives Mercedes more victories than they managed across the entire previous four-year ground-effect era combined. The Hamilton-Russell collision earned Lewis a mitigated five-second penalty, raising questions about stewarding consistency, particularly when Charles Leclerc's later move under braking on Oscar Piastri went unpunished. Brundle also noted that hybrid systems are stripping legendary corners like Pouhon of their challenge.

The details:

• Russell suffered yet another battery issue on the run to Les Combes, leaving him vulnerable on lap one. Hamilton made contact attempting a pass, spinning Russell out. Stewards penalized Lewis despite widespread calls that it was a racing incident.
• Leclerc later squeezed Piastri in the Turn 5 braking zone without penalty, an inconsistency Brundle flagged as a clear movement under braking.
• Strategy shaped the podium. Red Bull executed an early double stop for Isack Hadjar under Safety Cars to vault him from the back row to sixth. A lap 20 Virtual Safety Car let Leclerc jump ahead of Antonelli and Verstappen, though the Mercedes driver soon reclaimed the lead.
• Lando Norris started 13th due to power unit penalties and recovered to seventh, but McLaren's delayed pit stop until lap 30 left him with too much ground to make up.

What's next:

The paddock heads to Budapest, where tight layouts will temporarily hide the power-unit charging issues that dulled Spa's spectacle. With battery gremlins becoming an unwelcome theme of 2026, pressure is mounting for the FIA to accelerate power unit overhauls well ahead of the 2027 and 2028 timelines.