George Russell claimed he is ‘numb to disappointment’ but his pained face told a different story after his first lap collision with Lewis Hamilton ended his participation in the Belgian Grand Prix.Poor George is growing accustomed to summoning words to describe slings and Silver Arrows of outrageous fortune he cannot fully comprehend.His world championship dream is in jeopardy and questions fill his bamboozled mind. He cannot find answers for all that is assailing him. Why is he not as fast as Kimi Antonelli, the race winner and championship leader, in the same Mercedes machinery? Why is he suffering dramatic losses of pace in a straight line? Why are all the expectations he embraced as the pre-season championship favourite eluding him week after week?The story of his cameo at Spa nailed those doubts further into his psyche. Starting third he was cleanly away – ‘a great first corner’, as he noted wryly – before he was practically reduced to running on the spot along the Kemmel Straight.He slipped back to sixth, as if stuck in treacle, as he entered Les Combes, the right-left combination. He was fractionally ahead of Hamilton’s Ferrari at this stage, but they were overlapping. George Russell crashed out of the Belgian Grand Prix after colliding with Lewis Hamilton Russell was sent into the gravel after being clipped by the Ferrari in the opening lap in Spa Sunday’s result serves as a major blow to Russell’s championship hopesHis rear-right entangled itself with Hamilton’s front-left. Russell spun around into the gravel, where he was beached. He held his gloved palms open in an expression of agony in the cockpit. He climbed out unhurt physically, though seriously wounded again between the ears.Hamilton was handed a harsh five-second penalty for his part in the clumsy footwork, but went on to finish fourth. That meant that the seven-time world champion leapfrogged Russell as Antonelli’s closest challenger, 45 points back. Russell is 50 from the top. It was the third time in 10 races that he had failed to finish.’For whatever reason the battery decided not to recharge at Turn One,’ explained a nonplussed Russell.’I exited the first corner 35 per cent down. Because of that, and it didn’t charge, I had a boost problem. The turbo didn’t sort itself out, so no power, and I got to the top of Eau Rouge with zero per cent battery and quite frankly it was dangerous.’I got swamped by three cars and I shouldn’t have been in that position in the first place. It is why I am most angry. The incident with Lewis was a racing incident.’He was more to blame than I was. But he didn’t do anything reckless or on purpose.’I had been ready to fight the two guys ahead of me up to Turn Five.’It was a different problem from yesterday… but it is something every day now.’I am numb to disappointment. When it happens so often you just get used to it.’It has been a story of setback after setback for Russell this season. His reverses are compounded by Antonelli, just 19, growing in confidence every race, and he has hardly lacked for it since he registered his first win in China, the second staging post of the 22-race season.Russell’s specific complaint here centred on why he is suddenly losing power when Antonelli is not. Indeed, when the rest of the field are not, certainly not so dramatically as he is.Mercedes have no ready answers. Will they find solutions ahead of Budapest coming next weekend?While Russell was in the paddock, Antonelli was in clear command on the track. His only concern came when a Virtual Safety Car, brought about by debris, permitted the Ferraris a cheap stop. Charles Leclerc lucked into the lead at this point.But the Italian made the decisive pass on the Kemmel Straight with 10 laps remaining, and that was victory No 6 of 2025 secured. Leclerc took second place, ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.Hamilton’s day was eventful. Having survived his skirmish with Russell unscathed, he and Leclerc went wheel-to-wheel soon afterwards. They nearly touched but did not quite. Leclerc was feisty, as he also showed in a brush with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in which he (Leclerc) was fortunate to escape without censure when they touched.Hamilton pitted with Leclerc and served his penalty there and then. That done, he was given the green light to go. The mechanic holding the gun on the front-left tyre was still in his path, for some reason. His right knee was caught by the accelerating Ferrari. He will have a purple bruise to sport but was otherwise unharmed.Hamilton, who asked after his man’s welfare, was due to face the stewards afterwards on the charge of unsafe release (verdict pending).Piastri came home fifth, a place ahead of Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar and two in front of defending world champion Lando Norris, the old pal who maiden title success Russell is trying to emulate. If only he could get a break.