It is the end of the Belgian GP for George Russell. The Mercedes driver was hit by Lewis Hamilton in the first lap, causing him to spin off the track and come to a stop in the gravel. The race at Spa-Francorchamps is thus already over for the Mercedes driver before it had really even started.
Read more VIDEO: Lightning start for Max Verstappen in GP Belgium
The thrilling start of the Belgian GP ended in a drama for George Russell. Shortly after the lights went out, Max Verstappen briefly passed leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli. However, the much-discussed ‘yo-yo racing’ soon resumed and both the Italian and Charles Leclerc overtook the four-time world champion again. In all the chaos, it was George Russell who was hit by Lewis Hamilton entering Les Combes. The Brit spun into the gravel, seeing his race end prematurely.
Read more GP Belgium: Antonelli fights his way to a new victory, Max Verstappen nicely on the podium
Watch the moment from Lewis Hamilton’s perspective here:
Here’s Lewis’ view of the contact with George on the opening lap 👀#F1 #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/ZticPlZfQH
Read more Result Grand Prix Belgium 2026
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 19, 2026
Read everything about the Belgian GP here
