🏎️ F1 - Grande Kimi 🇮🇹

Starting from the back of the grid after an engine penalty, Isack Hadjar produced one of the recovery drives of the season.

Red Bull accepted the penalty before the weekend, knowing Spa is one of the few circuits where a fresh power unit can outweigh the cost of starting at the back. Long straights, multiple overtaking opportunities and flexible strategy made the risk worthwhile.

After sacrificing part of his own qualifying lap to give Max Verstappen a perfectly timed tow, Hadjar became the centre of Red Bull's Sunday strategy. The team committed to an aggressive three-stop race, allowing him to attack on fresher tyres while rivals managed degradation.

The result justified every decision. Starting 21st, Hadjar charged to sixth, finishing less than a second in front of Lando Norris after gaining fifteen positions.

After the race, Hadjar summed it up perfectly:

The recovery wasn't built on luck or late-race chaos. It was the result of a calculated decision, precise strategy and flawless execution from both driver and team.

Kimi Antonelli claimed his sixth victory of the season at Spa but the most impressive part of his race wasn't his outright speed. It was how little he wasted.

When Max Verstappen attacked into Eau Rouge on the opening lap, Antonelli refused to fight. He knew Mercedes held the advantage on the Kemmel Straight and reclaimed the position with ease before Turn 5, avoiding unnecessary risk and tyre wear.

The same discipline appeared later in the race. After losing track position to Charles Leclerc during the Virtual Safety Car, Antonelli resisted the temptation to force the issue. Instead, he stuck to the team's tyre plan, adapted his energy deployment strategy and gradually increased the pressure until Leclerc could no longer defend. The result was a clean, decisive overtake to reclaim the lead.

It was another reminder that Antonelli's greatest strength isn't just his pace. Together with his engineers, he consistently extracts the maximum from the hybrid system, ensuring the battery delivers its full potential exactly when it's needed most.

Two victories and a second place in the last four races suggest Ferrari have turned a corner rather than simply enjoyed a run of favourable circuits.

The progress has come from several directions. The team has continued refining the chassis while its latest engine upgrade, reported to be worth more than 20 bhp, has added another weapon on the straights.

Spa offered more evidence. Kimi Antonelli described Ferrari as "very fast", while Charles Leclerc praised the car's improved balance and tyre management after another competitive weekend.

Lewis Hamilton's race pointed in the same direction. Despite serving a five-second penalty and missing the front wing adjustment he had requested, he still had the pace to fight Verstappen and Leclerc for the podium.

Now comes the real test. The Hungaroring demands mechanical grip, traction and confidence through long sequences of slow and medium-speed corners rather than outright top speed. If Ferrari can produce the same level of performance there, it will confirm that these gains are coming from the car itself—not simply from circuits that happen to suit it.

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