SerpApi.Org
Lewis Hamilton has been handed a five-second time penalty for causing a collision with George Russell at the start of the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix, in an incident that ended the Mercedes driver's race on the opening lap at Spa-Francorchamps.
The contact between the two occurred at the race start, with Hamilton deemed responsible for the collision by the stewards. Russell, who had started from third on the grid and was one of the key title contenders heading into the weekend, was unable to continue, leaving him with no points from a race where he desperately needed to close the gap on championship leader Kimi Antonelli.
Hamilton's five-second penalty most likely will be served during his first pit stop of the race. Despite the penalty, the seven-time world champion continued to push through the field, recording the fastest lap of the race at 1:50.199 and working his way up to fourth place.
A Costly Incident for Both Title Contenders
The collision could not have come at a worse time for either driver. Russell had been one of the pre-race favorites at Spa, with his straight-line pace and race craft considered well-suited to the high-speed circuit. His retirement hands a significant gift to Antonelli, who started from pole position and will look to extend his championship lead over both Hamilton and Russell heading into the summer break.
For Hamilton, the five-second penalty adds to what has already been a complicated Belgian GP weekend. The Ferrari driver crashed in FP3, forcing his team to work through the night to repair the car ahead of qualifying, where he started fifth. The collision with Russell will only add to the scrutiny on a weekend when Ferrari needed a clean, points-scoring result from both of their drivers.
