Russell retires after opening-lap collision with Hamilton

George Russell's Formula 1 championship aspirations suffered a significant blow on Sunday, July 19, 2026, when he retired on the opening lap of the Belgian Grand Prix following a collision with Lewis Hamilton. The Mercedes driver was forced into the gravel trap at the Les Combes chicane at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, ending his race prematurely.

Starting from third on the grid, Russell immediately lost positions on the Kemmel Straight, dropping to sixth. He cited a recurring straight-line speed deficit and a battery deployment issue as the cause, stating he felt he had no power and was easily overtaken. As the field funneled into the tight left-right sequence of Les Combes, Russell attempted to regain ground by going around the outside of Hamilton's Ferrari. The two cars made contact, with Hamilton's front-left wheel appearing to tap the right-rear of Russell's Mercedes, sending the latter spinning into the gravel and out of the race.

The incident brought out the safety car for four laps while Russell's stranded car was recovered. Race stewards investigated the clash and determined Hamilton was at fault, handing the Ferrari driver a five-second time penalty. Hamilton had...