Spain rules the football world after lifting the World Cup, but Italy strikes back on four wheels. At Spa-Francorchamps, Formula 1 became an all-Italian affair, as teenage sensation Kimi Antonelli edged a revitalized Ferrari and Charles Leclerc in a thrilling duel. If Spain owns the beautiful game, Italy can still dream through its engines.

New track, new record. Kimi Antonelli is the new king of Belgium,  winning at Spa, the university of Formula 1. He becomes the first Italian to conquer the Belgian Grand Prix 73 years after Alberto Ascari’s triumph in 1953 with Ferrari. At just 19 years old, the Bologna-born driver is the youngest winner in the event’s history. He returns to the top step of the podium for the first time since Monaco in early June.

In between, he endured a run of unfortunate races, including two retirements with zero points in Barcelona and Silverstone due to reliability problems. But he never lost his confidence, his perfectly balanced car, or his instinct for speed.
His teammate, George Russell, retired on the opening lap after suffering a loss of power on the straight. Russell had also been hit by Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari. The seven-time world champion received a five-second penalty and was later investigated for an unsafe release during his pit stop, where he also struck a mechanic, who was fortunately uninjured. Hamilton, who crossed the finish line in fourth place, ultimately escaped with a €30,000 fine, plus an additional suspended €10,000 penalty contingent on good conduct in the future.

Kimi Wins the Duel with Leclerc The championship is thriving thanks to a sensational Kimi. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff praised his young driver: “He deserved to win at Silverstone as well. He drove with remarkable maturity. He’s only 19 years old and possesses extraordinary intelligence.”

Although Kimi started from pole position, he lost the lead to Max Verstappen’s Red Bull at the start. He soon reclaimed it, only to lose it again during a Virtual Safety Car period, which allowed Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari to take the lead for more than ten laps.
It was Italy versus Italy until Kimi won the duel on lap 34 of 44. Leclerc, who had been disadvantaged by a yellow flag in qualifying, stayed glued to Antonelli’s gearbox all the way to the checkered flag. It was the kind of battle fans might also have seen at Silverstone two weeks earlier, had Antonelli not been forced out by a mechanical problem that handed victory to Charles.
Leclerc finished second, less than two seconds behind. Ferrari proved significantly more competitive at Spa than even the Maranello team had expected.
Leclerc: “I believed in victory right to the end. We had a bit of luck with the Virtual Safety Car, which came out at exactly the right moment for us. The pace was consistently strong, and I felt much more comfortable with the car. There’s still work to do, but this is definitely a step forward.”

Verstappen finished third, less than ten seconds behind the winner. He had qualified second thanks to a tow provided by teammate Isack Hadjar. The Dutchman, born just a few kilometers from Spa, reflected:
“Kimi and I were both a little unlucky with the Virtual Safety Car. I gave it everything and tried every possible move, so I’m happy to take the podium.”

For Kimi, success is beginning to feel more and more familiar. “It’s fantastic to be back at the top after a few difficult races. It was a very hard-fought race. We lost the lead because of the Virtual Safety Car, but we managed to fight back. Winning wasn’t easy because Charles was incredibly fast.”

Asked about the championship, he added: “I never lost momentum. At Spa things went our way. You have to seize every opportunity, and we’ll see what happens next.”

Antonelli now extends his championship lead to 204 points, holding a 45-point advantage over Hamilton and 50 points over Russell. Leclerc sits fourth in the standings, 78 points behind Kimi.
Italy versus Italy. A beautiful rivalry.