Antonelli measured his tempo rigorously within the opening stint, taking care of his tyres, till being advised to hurry up as his pit cease loomed.
Over the course of lap 17, wth Verstappen pitting for recent tyres, he prolonged his lead over Leclerc by an extra 0.3secs to three.5, earlier than pitting on the next lap.
Two laps later, although, a digital security automotive interval for some particles on observe gave Leclerc an affordable pit cease – it prices almost half as a lot race time to cease underneath a security automotive than underneath green-flag situations – and Leclerc was capable of cease for recent tyres and rejoin nonetheless in entrance of Antonelli.
Norris by this level was within the lead, however Leclerc quickly handed the McLaren on lap 26, and it was now a query as to how lengthy it might take Antonelli to shut the three-second hole to the Ferrari.
Antonelli was on his tail eight laps later and handed the Ferrari on the Kemmel straight on lap 34 of 44.
Leclerc was ready to stick with Antonelli, whose lead by no means went over two seconds, and there was further stress from the actual fact the Mercedes driver was on the cusp of a five-second penalty for exceeding observe limits too many occasions.
However Antonelli calmly stored issues underneath management to cross the road just below two seconds forward and retake management of the championship.
It was his first win since Monaco in early June, after a retirement in Spain, a 3rd in Austria and a end out of the factors on the British Grand Prix.
