Mercedes had a day of contrasts at the Belgian Grand Prix in Formula 1. Kimi Antonelli returned to the top step of the podium, while George Russell retired in the first lap after a power issue and an incident with Lewis Hamilton.
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The result reinforced the team’s potential to fight for wins in 2026, but also highlighted a weakness that continues to cost important points throughout the season. Toto Wolff acknowledged that reliability remains Mercedes’ main concern on the eve of the summer break.
Antonelli celebrated the return to victory after a difficult sequence of races. The Italian explained that the race was far from easy, especially after losing the lead on the climb to Eau Rouge and regaining the lead still in the opening lap.
“It’s good to be back on top of the podium after some tough weekends. It was a very hard-fought win and didn’t come easily,” he said. “We lost the lead again when Leclerc stopped during the Virtual Safety Car, but we stayed calm and reduced the gap. He was very fast, and even after I managed to overtake him, it was difficult to open a gap.”
The championship leader also highlighted the grid’s competitiveness this season: “We saw several competitive teams again today. We need to keep working, keep scoring points, and take one weekend at a time. It will be a long battle until the end of the championship,” he added.
On the other side of the garage, Russell lamented another weekend without scoring points. The Brit revealed he suffered a different power issue than before, losing performance on the exit of turn 1 and being overtaken before the contact with Hamilton at turn 5.
“I had a good start and was in an interesting position to fight for the lead, but I didn’t have the speed we expected until turn 5. I was overtaken by several cars, and the incident with Lewis happened right after,” said Russell. “We are working hard to improve our reliability. We know it has already cost us many points this season.”
Wolff described the day as “bittersweet” for Mercedes. The team principal praised Antonelli’s performance, especially how he reacted after losing the lead to Charles Leclerc, but admitted the team missed an opportunity to maximize their points haul.
“We have a strong package, clearly capable of fighting for wins and both championships. We are working hard to improve our reliability, which is our main weakness. With one race remaining before the summer break, we will give everything to reach the interval with as much momentum as possible,” concluded the Mercedes boss.
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