Kimi Antonelli confirmed his excellent form by taking pole position at the Belgian Grand Prix. Despite a well-thought-out strategy from Red Bull to help Max Verstappen, the Mercedes driver remained untouchable.
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Already the fastest during free practice, Kimi Antonelli continued his momentum by securing pole position at the Belgian Grand Prix. The championship leader put in an impressive lap in 1’44″361, leaving Max Verstappen more than three tenths behind on the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit.
The young Italian perfectly managed the pressure during the final Q3 attempt. While Verstappen seemed capable of threatening his time, Antonelli found the resources to improve one last time and lock in first place.
Red Bull tries a strategic move with Verstappen
To maximize Max Verstappen’s chances, Red Bull implemented a slipstreaming strategy. Isack Hadjar was used to provide a valuable tow to his teammate on the long straights of Spa.
While this tactic allowed the four-time world champion to gain a few precious thousandths, it ultimately was not enough to dislodge Antonelli. Verstappen will therefore have to settle for second position after a session where he appeared to be Mercedes’ main rival.
Norris fast… but penalized
Lando Norris posted the third-best qualifying time, confirming McLaren’s competitiveness on the Belgian track. However, the Briton will not be able to keep this position on the grid.
The reigning world champion must serve a penalty related to an engine component change, which will drop him ten places at the start. This sanction notably allows George Russell to gain a position and temporarily enter the top 3 on the grid.
Ferrari limits the damage
At Ferrari, Charles Leclerc edged out Lewis Hamilton by only two thousandths of a second. The two drivers finished fifth and sixth, a relatively encouraging result given the difficulties faced by the Italian team during practice.
Hamilton, who suffered a heavy off during FP3 a few hours earlier, was ultimately able to take part in qualifying after significant work by the mechanics to repair his car.
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Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri never found the pace shown by his teammate Norris and had to settle for seventh place.
Lindblad, Lawson and the surprises of the pack
Arvid Lindblad once again confirmed his potential by finishing eighth. The young Racing Bulls driver could nevertheless have some regrets after posting the best first sector before losing time at the end of his lap.
Gabriel Bortoleto secured a solid ninth place, while Isack Hadjar closed out the top 10 after sacrificing his own performance to provide a tow to Verstappen.
Liam Lawson missed out on Q3 in eleventh position, ahead of the Alpine drivers Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto. Nico Hülkenberg finished fourteenth before stopping his Audi due to a hydraulic leak on his in-lap.
Carlos Sainz took fifteenth place, just two thousandths ahead of Oliver Bearman.
Aston Martin still in great difficulty
The disappointment is total for Aston Martin. Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll occupied the two last places in Q1, with the British team showing a deficit of about two seconds on the best cars.
Cadillac took advantage to achieve another encouraging result by placing Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Pérez ahead of the two Aston Martins. While awaiting significant technical upgrades, the Silverstone team continues to go through a particularly difficult period.
With Antonelli on pole ahead of Verstappen, Sunday’s race promises a highly anticipated duel between Mercedes and Red Bull, while Norris will have to attempt a spectacular comeback from the middle of the pack.
Read more George Russell explains his delay behind Kimi Antonelli after a setup error at Spa
2026 Belgian GP F1 Qualifying Classification:
