Formula 1 returned to the Spa-Francorchamps circuit for the Belgian Grand Prix this weekend. The current generation of cars struggled with limited battery energy on the demanding track.
Kimi Antonelli secured pole position for Mercedes with a margin of three tenths of a second over Max Verstappen in qualifying. Verstappen's teammate assisted with a tow in the final sector.
George Russell encountered significant car issues during the session, losing speed on straights despite full throttle. His race ended in a collision with Lewis Hamilton on the Kemmel Straight, resulting in a DNF, while Hamilton received a five-second penalty from stewards.
Antonelli won the race, marking his sixth victory of the season. Verstappen briefly led at the start but could not maintain the position. Drivers noted that hybrid power units provide energy for only a few seconds per lap, forcing coasting in high-speed corners.
Verstappen described running on engine power alone in sector two, equating it to roughly 450-500 bhp with Formula 1 downforce levels. AI-managed energy deployment systems were cited as contributing to inconsistent performance.
