Russell out of Belgian GP after colliding with Hamilton on lap one

Mercedes driver George Russell crashed out of the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday after colliding with Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton on the first lap at Spa-Francorchamps.

During a spectacular opening lap featuring several overtaking moves among the leaders, Russell collided with fellow Briton Lewis Hamilton at the Combes corner and spun out into the gravel.

Unable to rejoin the race, Russell, who is second in the world championship, after wins in Australia and Austria, leaves Belgium empty-handed.

This is a major blow to Russell's championship campaign, especially given that his teammate Kimi Antonelli was comfortably leading the race after 11 of the 44 laps.

The Italian went into the race with a 25-point lead over Russell, the equivalent to a Grand Prix victory.

Hamilton, meanwhile, received a five-second penalty for the collision.