SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium, July 19 (Reuters) - Kimi Antonelli won the Belgian Grand Prix for Mercedes on Sunday to stretch his Formula One lead to 45 points over Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton on a bleak day for teammate George Russell, his closest title rival heading into the race.
Russell spun off into the gravel at Les Combes on the opening lap at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, after a collision with Hamilton while trying to make up places lost after the start, and dropped to third overall and 50 points behind.
"I am numb to the disappointment. When it happens so often you just get used to it," a stunned Russell said of the latest blow to his championship hopes.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was runner-up in the 44-lap race, 1.952 seconds behind after leading thanks to a pitstop while a virtual safety car was deployed, and Max Verstappen finished third to give Red Bull their 300th Formula One podium.
HAMILTON'S CAR HIT MECHANIC ON PITSTOP RELEASE
Hamilton finished fourth, despite serving a five-second penalty for the collision with Russell, and was investigated by stewards for an unsafe release from a pitstop that left one of his mechanics on the ground, but unhurt.
The mechanic, who had been trying to adjust the front wing, was helped back up after being hit by the front wheel as Hamilton was given the sign to leave.
Ferrari were fined €30,000 ($34,317.00) with €10,000 suspended for a year provided there was no similar infringement in that time.
It was Antonelli's sixth win in 10 rounds this season, and his fifth from pole position, leaving him sure to go into the August break after Hungary next weekend with a solid lead.
The battle in the constructors championship tightened, with Mercedes now 73 points ahead of Ferrari after going into the weekend 78 clear.
“It’s great to be back on the top step after a few difficult rounds," said Antonelli, who had drawn a blank in two of the past three rounds and seen his lead slashed from a hefty 66 points over Hamilton in June.
"It was a hard-fought race. We lost first place with the VSC but then we managed to make our way back.
"The momentum was always there. It was just about getting the results," he added. "Today we were a bit lucky with what happened in terms of the championship but you have to take every opportunity because we saw how much it can swing."
HADJAR GOES FROM BACK OF GRID TO SIXTH
McLaren's Oscar Piastri finished fifth, overtaken by Hamilton late on, with Isack Hadjar sixth for Red Bull from last on the grid and reigning champion Lando Norris seventh for McLaren after starting 13th due to a 10-place grid drop.
Norris did 30 laps before stopping, working his way to the lead as those ahead pitted but then dropping back after McLaren took eight seconds in an agonisingly long change of tyres.
Gabriel Bortoleto brought more points for Audi in eighth place, with Arvid Lindblad ninth for Racing Bulls and Argentine Franco Colapinto completing the scoring in 10th place for Renault-owned Alpine.
Antonelli led away from pole to the first La Source corner, with Verstappen then overtaking into Eau Rouge before the Mercedes regained the advantage on the Kemmel straight. Leclerc also got ahead of the Red Bull for second.
Verstappen retook second on lap six and stayed there until his pitstop on lap 17, with the Ferraris staying out and then cashing in when the virtual safety car was deployed three laps later.
That allowed Leclerc a cheap pitstop and to take the lead, with a three second gap to Antonelli who proceeded to reel in the Ferrari and take the lead again with 10 laps remaining.
"I believed in the win until the end," said Leclerc, who remained close behind without having a sniff at an overtake."We had a little bit of luck with the VSC at the right time for us but the pace was relatively strong."
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(Reporting by Alan Baldwin; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Pritha Sarkar)
