George Best's Rival George Russell Closes Gap in Drivers Championship

George Best's rival George Russell has closed the gap in the Drivers Championship after a dramatic British Grand Prix.

What happened?

The 2026 Belgian Grand Prix is just around the corner, and the Drivers Championship is heating up. George Russell, who won the Australian Grand Prix and took pole position, has reduced his championship advantage over Kimi Antonelli to 25 points. This comes after a dramatic British Grand Prix, where Antonelli's apparent route to victory disappeared through mechanical trouble.

Why it matters for George Best

George Best's legacy lives on in the world of football, but his rival George Russell is making waves in the Formula 1 world. Russell's performance at the British Grand Prix has brought the top contenders closer, making the championship more interesting than ever.

What comes next?

The 2026 Belgian Grand Prix is set to take place at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Stavelot, Belgium. The event will be live on Sky Sports F1, Sky Go, and NOW, with practice sessions and qualifying taking place on Friday and Saturday. The race will take place on Sunday at 2pm BST.

The championship leader, Kimi Antonelli, had looked the class of the field for much of the weekend. He chased down Lewis Hamilton to win Saturday's Sprint, then took pole position for the Grand Prix. However, his Sunday began badly, as both Ferraris passed him at the start. Leclerc led Hamilton while Antonelli recovered to overtake the seven-time World Champion at Copse on lap 11 and set off after the leading Ferrari.

Leclerc stopped on lap 26, while Mercedes extended Antonelli's first stint until lap 36. The Italian emerged on fresher tyres and rapidly reduced the gap, only for a left-front wheel-shield failure to ruin his challenge. Two further pit stops and a track-limits penalty left Antonelli out of the points, reducing his championship advantage over George Russell to 25 points.

Leclerc held on for his first victory of the season and the ninth of his Formula 1 career. Russell inherited second after Max Verstappen crashed at Stowe with four laps remaining and triggered a Safety Car, while Hamilton completed the podium after making a late stop. Lando Norris finished fourth on a difficult weekend for McLaren, with Isack Hadjar fifth ahead of Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad.

The standings

The current standings are:

1. Kimi Antonelli (Ferrari)-52 laps, 1:27:11.335-25 pts 2. George Russell (Mercedes)-+0.427s-18 pts 3. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)-+0.772s-15 pts 4. Lando Norris (McLaren)-+1.149s-12 pts 5. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull Racing)-+1.598s-10 pts 6. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)-+2.023s-8 pts 7. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls)-+2.214s-6 pts 8. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi)-+2.413s-4 pts 9. Franco Colapinto (Alpine)-+3.229s-2 pts 10. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)-+3.445s-1 pt

The 2026 Belgian Grand Prix is set to be an exciting event, with the top contenders vying for the championship. Will George Russell be able to close the gap further, or will Kimi Antonelli regain his lead? Only time will tell.

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