F1 Belgian Grand Prix Review

The Davis & Davis Show recorded a dual-topic episode covering the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps . Kimi Antonelli won the race with Mercedes dominating, while significant controversy surrounded Hamilton's penalty and Russell's early DNF.

Decisions Made
F1 show length reduced to 1 hour, as episodes rarely exceed 45 minutes 
Intro length for Formula One shows set at 2.5 minutes 
Consensus: Hamilton's 5-second penalty was unjust; stewards applied inconsistent rules between the Hamilton/Russell and Piastri/Leclerc incidents 
Assessment: Mercedes has clearly prioritized Antonelli over Russell; McLaren similarly favors Norris over Piastri 
Prediction: F1 may revert to V6 or V8 engines next year due to power unit issues making cars slower than F2
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Race Results — Belgian Grand Prix
P1 Antonelli, P2 Leclerc, P3 Verstappen, P4 Hamilton (+1), P5 Piastri (+1), P6 Hadjar (+15 places) 
DNFs: Russell (Lap 1), Perez, Stroll (Lap 27, clutch) 
Antonelli led 204 championship points; Hamilton second; Russell third with 154 
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Key Race Incidents
Russell DNF: Lost battery power exiting Turn 1, got swamped, made contact with Hamilton; both Russell and Hamilton called it a racing incident — Hamilton received a 5-second penalty regardless 
Piastri/Leclerc contact: No further action taken; stewards ruled Piastri's front axle was not ahead of Leclerc's — a rule change from prior "mirror" standard, creating inconsistency 
Hamilton unsafe release: Mechanic nearly run over in pit; Hamilton fined €30,000 (€10,000 suspended 12 months) 
Hadjar: Started last, climbed 15 places to P6 
Norris: 10-place grid penalty for 4th power unit; recovered from P13 to P7
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Technical & Regulatory Concerns
Current power units are 200 hp down from last year's spec 
FIA controls boost deployment timing and regeneration — Oscar Piastri publicly stated computers have "ruined F1"
McLaren principal Andrea Stella confirmed unpredictable energy deployment algorithm affecting both McLaren and Mercedes-powered cars
Possible 60/40 hybrid split returning for 2027
Hosts advocate for reintroducing refueling to slow pit stops and improve safety