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George Russell suffers DNF early in Belgian Grand Prix

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Jul 19, 2026, 1:51 PM

Last updated Jul 19, 2026

George Russell suffers DNF early in Belgian Grand Prix

Summary

George Russell faced an early retirement at the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix after just five laps. Although he started the race in a strong position, having qualified third on the grid, contact with Lewis Hamilton at Les Combes forced him into the gravel. Russell's car had exhibited performance issues throughout the weekend, particularly in high-speed sections. Following the incident, he expressed deep disappointment, particularly regarding the impact on his championship chase against Kimi Antonelli, who leads the standings.

Source Links

Yahoo Sports

By the Numbers

•Russell started third on the grid at Spa-Francorchamps.
•He lost multiple positions due to straight-line speed issues.
•The early retirement occurred after contact with Hamilton.
•Russell was reported to be emotional after the incident.
•Performance issues have persisted despite engineering investigations.

Latest Updates

1:51 PMYahoo Sports — George Russell Reacts to Heartbreaking Early DNF at the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix

What they're saying

"
George Russell arrived at Spa-Francorchamps carrying real momentum. He’d trimmed Kimi Antonelli‘s championship lead from 68 points down to 25 over the previous few rounds, and heading into Sunday’s race, he’d been bumped up to third on the grid after…
— Yahoo Sports

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