Mercedes' George Russell suffered his latest blow in the 2026 Formula 1 championship after opening lap contact with Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton punted him out of the Belgian Grand Prix.
Starting from third, Russell was easily overtaken by Charles Leclerc in the Kemmel straight and also faced a challenge by the second Ferrari of Hamilton on the inside of Turn 5's Les Combes.
As the two Britons turned into the corner side-by-side, Hamilton appeared to understeer into the path of Russell, tapping the Mercedes' right rear corner and punting Russell into the gravel. Russell was stuck in the gravel bed and retired on the spot, bringing out a safety car for the following four laps.
It's the latest setback for a Mercedes driver in the championship, with having only just benefited from team-mate Kimi Antonelli's retirement in Silverstone.
But with Antonelli leading the race from pole early on, Russell's 25-point deficit to the Italian championship leader is now expected to increase dramatically again.
On the radio, Hamilton said he was put in an "impossible position" as he understeered into Turn 5, following in the wake of Red Bull's Max Verstappen. But after investigating the incident, the FIA race stewards handed Hamilton a five-second time penalty.
Following the collision, Hamilton dropped to fifth behind McLaren's Oscar Piastri.
Photos from Belgian GP - Sunday
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