00:0026 Belgian Grand Prix, it's lights out, away we go, Kimi Antonelli, good start, George Russell
00:06trying to get alongside Max Verstappen, Leclerc and Hamilton behind these two, Verstappen has
00:11it covered, Russell on the inside, good line from him, now might get a slipstream behind
00:15Verstappen, running down towards Eau Rouge, Lewis Hamilton trying to get through there
00:20as well, Russell's under pressure, no straight line speed for him, and there in front, Max
00:25Verstappen has taken the lead of the Belgian Grand Prix from Kimi Antonelli, who's now
00:31going to come back at him, down the camel straight, look at the pace of the Mercedes, look at the
00:36pace of the Ferrari, Max Verstappen swallowed up by the chicane, Antonelli leads, Russell
00:41and Hamilton hit, from Leclerc, Russell and Hamilton make contact, Russell in the gravel, Hamilton
00:46continues on, Lindblad's lost out to Lawson in the Racing Bulls, what an action-packed first
00:52lap, Hamilton, Russell kerfuffle, and George Russell out of this race.
00:58Yeah, Piastri's not down in 22nd, that's a problem with the computer we're looking at
01:02here, he's obviously got a sensor issue, because he's right up there behind Max Verstappen.
01:07Let's have a look at the race start, now for once, for Kimi Antonelli, it was a perfect
01:11getaway off the line, Charles Leclerc, I think, reacts a little quicker than George Russell,
01:16and George Russell's got that inside line, which is a good line to take, and now it all unfolds,
01:21Martin. Yeah, you can see Max Verstappen there in second place, he's obviously using a lot of battery
01:26deployment, Antonelli tries to cover him, can't do that all the way through there, but that puts
01:32Verstappen into the lead, but pretty defenseless then, heading such a long slog up the hill,
01:40George Russell is out of battery there as well, look, they're just mugging him all the way down
01:44to Lecombe, Russell then late on the brakes, now goes around the outside of Lewis, gave Lewis,
01:50I have to say, racing room on the inside there, you always have to be wary of cold front tyres
01:55and
01:56full fuel loads in a situation like that, but we're about to find out, I think George did give him
02:02enough space, but Lewis has obviously just had a little slide across the track, there goes Russell now.
02:09It's a little snap of oversteer, isn't it, mid-corner from Lewis there. Sort of six of one, half a
02:14dozen of
02:14another, isn't it, that, for me, that'll be perceived as a racing incident, it has been noted.
02:20Three times in the past. I crossed over in front of me, I was right behind another car, so I
02:24had no front in.
02:27Yeah, that's that little snap of oversteer, George is like, what has happened here?
02:31Three times in any trouble on that occasion, Carlos Sainz tags Esteban Ocon, which is why Ocon is
02:37probably sparking a bit, so has it damaged some bodywork? He carries on Esteban Ocon,
02:43having quite a few adventures. Oh, and that's his teammate, Oli Behrman, as they rub wheels
02:49through the Fannier chicane. The Mercedes has been recovered now, and he could have easily
02:56picked up that puncture, heading off into the gravel as well. Yeah, I don't know which one of
02:59those contacts gave him the puncture, plenty of them. From Leclerc, then Verstappen, Piastri under
03:06pressure from Hamilton, who makes the dive down the inside into the source. Very nice under braking
03:11from Hamilton. Did he have to use a bit of boost? Is he vulnerable now to a re-attack from
03:16Piastri? Looks like he is. Piastri's manager, Mark Webber, did this once to Fernando Alonso.
03:21Piastri's done it himself, overtaking through Orooge. Verstappen's been using his boost again.
03:26Gasly gets past Bortoleta. Verstappen is gaining here on Charles Leclerc. He's picking up the slipstream
03:31as well, and he's now alongside the Ferrari, braking into Lecom. Max Verstappen takes second
03:37place from Charles Leclerc. That slipstream is very effective here. Active aero. Both cars have got
03:43opening in the rear wing and the front wing cutting down to dump the drag as well. He's
03:49halfway alongside Oscar Piastri. Who dares to brake, ladies? They touched! And there's a little
03:53bit of damage, I think, came off the Ferrari. Piastri has lost out. Hamilton's now all over
03:58his rear wing, but two in the one did not go into Lecom for the second time in this race.
04:04I can't believe enough space. That could have been a massive crash. Restore.
04:09On to the Camel Straight we go, and the speeds of about 200 miles an hour. Already that McLaren,
04:15the light flashing and charging up the battery. Hamilton will love to see that because that gives
04:20him an opportunity to take fourth place, which he does. Hamilton, for causing a collision with
04:25George Russell, that's left George Russell out of this Belgian Grand Prix, has a five second time
04:31penalty. Quicker than Charles, I've got more pace. Better than others, so you can afford to use them.
04:41Up the pace then, young man, should you wish, I think, to the VSC virtual safety car deployed.
04:47We are up 18. Why the hell?
04:52I told you what strategy I wanted to do, just to put me out with everyone else now. We are
04:57on plan B.
04:59I really need to do something about this quickly. Here it is, right now, Lando Norris behind Oscar Piastri.
05:06He didn't let him through there. I don't think he's got much to defend with there, so whether it was
05:12orchestrated or not, Lando Norris is now through and into third place. That looked a bit lumpy, didn't it?
05:17Yeah. The two Ferraris haven't pitted. We are opening the gap to Piastri, and we need to
05:22serve a five second penalty, that's why. That's another one.
05:29Marshall's on the track once again. Will anyone take advantage this time?
05:33Yeah, I think if the safety car is still out, or the virtual safety car is still out by the
05:36time Ferrari
05:37get to the pit entry, then they should at least do it with Leclerc. This is their best chance
05:41to come out ahead of Kimi Antonelli. But I think, in credit to the FIA, they're throwing these virtual
05:47safety cars at points where it's not affecting the leaders of the race, so they'll try and clear
05:53it, but we've not got a cleared message yet. So what do you do if you're Ferrari? You shout
05:57box, box to Charles Leclerc. 100%. Yeah, and you shout box, box to Lewis Hamilton, because the virtual
06:04safety car is still out, and Ferrari are coming in. Lando Norris is your race leader. He hasn't pitted yet.
06:13Oscar Piastri did come in. That's why he's now down to fifth. Charles Leclerc from Kimi Antonelli.
06:19So Antonelli would have expected at the end of all the pit stops that he'd be out in front again
06:24as the race leader. He now finds himself currently third on the track and still ahead of Max Verstappen.
06:30Hamilton's against him, just a little touch. Karou mentioned this.
06:35Is he okay? He's all okay.
06:38Did you put some wing in or not? We did a manager.
06:42Yeah. I can't turn the car soon.
06:46Charles Leclerc is coming right at him on the camel straight and is about to take the lead
06:52of the race and does so with ease. Lando knew there was no point fighting that one whatsoever.
06:58Second race running then. Charles Leclerc is leading a Grand Prix.
07:03He's starting to cruise up behind him again. And Oscar Piastri still in the 1 minute 49s too.
07:09Yeah, they're lapping very similar lap times. Antonelli needs this, needs an overtake.
07:14McLaren's harvesting. Norris is breezed past on that.
07:18Lot of Max Verstappen fans on those banks alongside the camel straight. They'll be cheering him on.
07:23They'll be willing him on. He's trying to respond. Gets into the chicane. Has responded. Goes a little bit deep.
07:29Maybe goes too deep. Lando Norris can try and fight this back. Verstappen closes the door on him and hangs
07:35on to third place.
07:36Radio is anything from Antonelli. And Lando, I don't want any yo-yo racing with Oscar. I'll explain why later.
07:44Lap 31. The hard tyres that he's had on from the start of this race now have given up the
07:49ghost and it's time for a pit stop.
07:51They need a quick one from the crew. And they don't get a quick one from the crew.
07:55Left hand rear that didn't want to come off and it doesn't want to go back on too much either.
08:01Now we said that he was going to come out behind Isaac Hajar.
08:05But is Lando Norris now going to come out behind Gabriel Bortoletto as well?
08:10Here comes the Audi down towards the source. Norris has got that inside line.
08:16But he's lost out to Hajar and he's lost out to Bortoletto as well.
08:20Earlier on in the race for which he picked up a five second penalty.
08:23The Ferrari's vulnerable. Along that camel straight,
08:26Kimi Antonelli retakes the lead of the Belgian Grand Prix.
08:31He was warned that Leclerc will try and squeeze him potentially into the chicane.
08:35He managed to get the overtake done before the chicane was a factor.
08:39Who's deploying Moura? Who's charging Moura on this straight?
08:43Charging towards Oscar Piastri as Lewis Hamilton.
08:46Charging up into fourth is Lewis Hamilton. He's got his man second time around.
08:51Overtapped mode on Piastri. Get on with that.
08:52Remember track limits.
08:55Two. You have two already. So we don't want any more.
08:58Kimi Antonelli, championship leader. Six poles in 2026.
09:04Make that sixth Grand Prix to go with it. Six of the best as Antonelli wins the Belgian Grand Prix.
09:11Charles Leclerc comes home for a fine, impressive and super second place.
09:16And Max Verstappen will add to his podium tally to hold on to third place for Red Bull.
09:23Behind him, Lewis Hamilton with the threat of a penalty maybe to come for an unsafe release.
09:29Oscar Piastri within five seconds finishes fifth. Isaac Hajar, super drive from him from the back of the grid to
09:36finish sixth.
09:37And hold off Lando Norris who briefly led this race. Quite good on terms with Hajar.
09:42Nice work, Kimi. Well done there, mate.
09:45Let's go.
09:46Good effort, mate.
09:47Let's go.
09:49Thank you so much, guys.
09:50Yeah, well done, mate. Thank you.
09:52Yeah, it was a busy race, that one. But well done.
09:54Kept cool head.
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