Andrea Kimi Antonelli secured pole position for the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps on Saturday, July 18, delivering a stunning lap that beat Max Verstappen by 0.317 seconds. The 19-year-old Mercedes driver and championship leader produced a masterful performance on the lightning-fast Ardennes circuit, resisting even Red Bull's concerted team effort.
Verstappen had benefited from teammate Isack Hadjar's aerodynamic tow in the middle sector. Hadjar stayed ahead of Verstappen through the high-speed Blanchimont corners, moving aside at the very last moment to avoid contact. Despite this collaboration, the Dutch champion couldn't match Antonelli's time.
"He did amazing. I initially thought 'Oh my god, it's too close.' Actually it worked out well to the last corner — but the gap in qualifying even with a massive tow is still three-tenths, so I don't really expect to race Mercedes tomorrow," Verstappen said.
George Russell will start third after Lando Norris's 10-place grid penalty for an engine change. The British Mercedes driver described trying to match Antonelli as "battling with one hand behind your back" and said the team had "changed everything" in an attempt to close the gap to his teammate.
Ferrari endured a difficult session: Charles Leclerc qualified fifth, while Lewis Hamilton managed sixth. The seven-time world champion had a spectacular crash in FP3 just hours before qualifying, heavily damaging the right-rear suspension of his SF-26. Ferrari's mechanics worked against the clock to repair the car in just two and a half hours.
"The guys did a great job to repair the car," Hamilton said. "Something wasn't the same on the rear suspension, so the balance wasn't the same as FP3, where the car was feeling really great. But I'm just grateful they did, and I hope the car's still okay in the race."
Antonelli dedicated the pole to his father Marco, who celebrated his 62nd birthday on Saturday. The young Italian, already leading the championship, will look to convert pole into victory on Sunday to extend his standings lead.
Sources
- AP News — Kimi Antonelli beats Red Bull's team effort to qualify on pole for F1's Belgian Grand Prix (https://apnews.com/article/f1-belgian-qualifying-53ba944bd19a3bf74fed94862f2879e0)
