Kimi Antonelli pinpoints 'lucky' Belgian GP twist after George Russell crash

Kimi Antonelli has conceded the way the Belgian Grand Prix unfolded is "lucky" for his F1 drivers' championship hopes after poor races for his two closest rivals.

The Mercedes driver had to fight his way past Charles Leclerc, who was the beneficiary of a cheap pit stop under virtual safety car conditions at Spa-Francorchamps.

However, the 19-year-old kept his cool to hunt down the Ferrari driver, taking the chequered flag 1.9 seconds ahead.

In doing so, he extended his lead in the F1 drivers' championship to (at least) 45 points over Lewis Hamilton in second, with team-mate George Russell — who was forced into retirement after first-lap contact with his compatriot — in third, 50 points behind.

The 106-time grand prix winner finished fourth on the road but faces a post-race investigation for an unsafe release, and could fall behind Oscar Piastri, who crossed the line in fifth.

"It’s great to be back on the top step after obviously a few difficult rounds," Antonelli said after climbing from his W17.

"It was a hard-fought race. We lost first place with a VSC, but then we managed to make our way back.

"It was a tough win because Charles was quick and we had to hold onto them."

It is Antonelli's first victory since the Monaco Grand Prix. But despite having suffered two reliability issues at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and Silverstone, he is adamant he never lost the impetus of the title fight.

"I think the momentum was always there," the Italian teenager added.

"It was just about getting the result, and today we were a bit lucky with what happened in terms of the championship, but that's why you've got to try to take every opportunity, because we saw that it can really swing the situation very easily.

"So yeah, we just got to keep performing, keep bringing the results, and then we'll see what happens at the end of the year."