Toto Wolff has played down Ferrari’s threat in the 2026 Formula 1 championship after Andrea Kimi Antonelli defeated Charles Leclerc to win the Belgian Grand Prix. The Mercedes team principal believes the combination of Kimi Antonelli and the Mercedes car remains the fastest on the grid, arguing that the Italian would have taken a much clearer victory without the intervention of the Virtual Safety Car.
Kimi Antonelli returned to winning ways at Spa-Francorchamps after a difficult and unlucky period, strengthening his position at the top of the Drivers’ Championship. Ferrari briefly brought additional tension to the closing stages through Charles Leclerc, but Toto Wolff was unconvinced that the Scuderia had shown enough to emerge as Mercedes’ principal title rival.
Kimi Antonelli overcomes bad luck to win the Belgian GP
After enduring a particularly unfortunate run of races, Andrea Kimi Antonelli returned to the top step of the podium in Belgium. The Italian driver had controlled much of the Grand Prix after losing the lead for only a few metres during the opening lap.
Mercedes appeared to have the race under control before Ferrari took advantage of a Virtual Safety Car period to move Charles Leclerc into the lead. The timing of the neutralisation added intrigue to the final phase of the Grand Prix and gave Ferrari a genuine opportunity to challenge for victory.
On this occasion, however, Kimi Antonelli’s pursuit was not interrupted by a technical problem. The Mercedes driver closed the gap and completed a decisive pass on Charles Leclerc’s number 16 SF-26, reclaiming the lead and going on to secure victory. The full classification is available in the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix results.
Antonelli extends his championship lead over Lewis Hamilton
The result allowed Kimi Antonelli to increase his advantage over Lewis Hamilton in the Drivers’ Championship to 45 points. The latest positions can be found in the 2026 F1 standings after the Belgian Grand Prix.
George Russell failed to score after leaving the circuit on the opening lap following contact with Lewis Hamilton. The Mercedes driver described the clash as a racing incident, although the stewards later imposed a five-second penalty on Hamilton for causing the collision.
The first-lap contact brought George Russell’s race to an early end and denied Mercedes the opportunity to score with both cars. A detailed account of the incident is available in the report on the Lewis Hamilton and George Russell Belgian GP collision.
Toto Wolff dismisses Ferrari as Mercedes’ main title threat
Despite Charles Leclerc’s second-place finish and Ferrari’s ability to challenge Mercedes through strategy, Toto Wolff does not currently regard the Maranello team as an especially serious threat in the championship battle. Instead, the Mercedes team principal is hoping for an internal contest between his own drivers.
“I believe the group is quite closely matched, but the Antonelli-Mercedes combination has something extra and is faster than everyone else,” Toto Wolff told Sky. “Today, without the Virtual Safety Car, the victory would have been clear.”
Ferrari nevertheless demonstrated competitive pace at Spa, with Charles Leclerc finishing second and Lewis Hamilton recovering to fourth despite his opening-lap collision, car damage and penalty. Their results helped Ferrari reduce Mercedes’ advantage in the Constructors’ Championship, as reflected in the latest constructors’ standings.
Wolff identifies George Russell as Antonelli’s main rival
Toto Wolff acknowledged that Ferrari remains strong and also highlighted the continuing threat posed by Max Verstappen. He added that the Belgian Grand Prix did not provide a complete indication of Lando Norris’s potential.
“Ferrari is still very strong, as is Max Verstappen, and today we were unable to see Lando Norris’s full potential,” Toto Wolff continued.
Asked who he regarded as Kimi Antonelli’s leading championship challenger, the Mercedes boss selected George Russell rather than either Ferrari driver.
“Who is Antonelli’s rival? I say George Russell, so either way a Mercedes wins,” Toto Wolff concluded.
The comments underline Mercedes’ confidence following another important result for Kimi Antonelli. Although Ferrari showed that it could challenge at Spa through both pace and strategy, Toto Wolff believes Mercedes still possesses the strongest overall package as the 2026 championship battle continues.
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