George Russell out of Belgian Grand Prix in a heavy blow to his F1 title chances

George Russell out of Belgian Grand Prix in a heavy blow to his F1 title chances follows a first-lap retirement at Spa-Francorchamps that severely damaged his championship position. Russell retired on lap one on Sunday after being nudged by Lewis Hamilton, as Russell tried to regain fourth place around the outside. The Ferrari driver clipped Russell’s rear wheel, sending him into the gravel trap and prompting the safety car. Russell said “Car crossed over right in front of me,” while Hamilton stated he lacked front-end grip to avoid contact because he was following another car closely. Hamilton received a five-second time penalty for causing the collision. Russell’s Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli led the race after taking pole on Saturday. Entering the event, Russell started second in the standings, 25 points behind Antonelli, and he had been struggling to match pace in recent races. Russell later suggested the main issue was limited straight-line speed on his car, not Hamilton.