Kimi Antonelli takes pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix, Verstappen starts alongside him
Kimi Antonelli took pole position for the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps and confirmed that Mercedes is currently the benchmark for qualifying pace in Formula 1. The 19-year-old Italian completed a lap of 1:44.361 in the closing stages of qualifying, beating Max Verstappen in the Red Bull by 0.317 seconds. Lando Norris set the third-fastest time, 0.440 seconds behind Antonelli, but due to a ten-place grid penalty he will start the race only from the middle of the field. George Russell was fourth, ahead of the Ferrari pairing of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, so he will move up to the second row of the grid because of Norris's penalty.
According to Formula 1's official results, this is Antonelli's sixth pole position of the season. His final lap came at a moment when Verstappen had briefly taken the lead, with the help of a slipstream from his teammate Isack Hadjar. Red Bull's preparation for the final attempt was still not enough to stop the Mercedes driver, who set the fastest time when the pressure was at its highest. Antonelli therefore enters Sunday's race from the most favorable position to further increase his championship lead, although no points are awarded for pole position itself.
The final lap decided the battle for the top
Qualifying featured a gradual increase in pace, and Antonelli did not dominate from the opening minute. Norris was fastest in the first segment with a time of 1:45.865, ahead of Verstappen and Hadjar, while Antonelli secured his progression to Q2 without giving the impression of invincibility that he had shown during part of free practice. Spa-Francorchamps, the longest circuit on the current Formula 1 calendar, made it additionally difficult for the drivers to choose when to go out on track because the long lap reduces the number of possible fast attempts and increases the importance of traffic, tire warm-up and slipstreaming.
The order changed in Q2. Antonelli put Mercedes back on top with a lap of 1:45.142, and his pace once again looked like the reference point for the rest of the field. Verstappen progressed with a 1:45.589, while Norris recorded a 1:45.454. Russell, Leclerc, Hamilton, Oscar Piastri, Arvid Lindblad, Gabriel Bortoleto and Hadjar also reached the final part of qualifying. Liam Lawson was the first driver below the cutoff, only 0.038 seconds behind Bortoleto, once again showing how small the margins were in determining who advanced to the fight for pole position.
In Q3, Norris held the provisional fastest time after the first attempts, but the final series of laps completely changed the picture. The session was briefly stopped by a red flag so that gravel could be removed from the track near Stavelot, after which the drivers had enough time left for one more decisive run. Verstappen used the slipstream that Hadjar tried to provide for him and moved into first place, but a few moments later Antonelli completed his lap with an advantage of more than three tenths. Norris did not find any further improvement, while Russell remained 0.508 seconds behind his teammate with a 1:44.869.
Norris's penalty changes the appearance of the starting grid
Third place in qualifying will not give Norris a start from the second row. According to Formula 1's official report and FIA documents, the McLaren driver received a ten-place penalty for using power-unit elements beyond the permitted seasonal allocation. As a result, according to the penalty order available at the time, he should start from 13th position. His drop through the order moves Russell up to third, Leclerc to fourth, Hamilton to fifth, Piastri to sixth, Lindblad to seventh and Bortoleto to eighth on the starting grid.
Penalties for power-unit components also affected several other drivers. Hadjar finished qualifying in tenth place without setting a time in Q3, but he faces a major drop toward the back of the grid. Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll also received significant penalties, with their Aston Martins already occupying the final positions in qualifying. The FIA confirms the final starting grid after all penalties and technical decisions have been applied, so at the end of qualifying part of the order behind the leading group still had a provisional character.
The penalty is particularly painful for Norris because McLaren showed enough speed to fight at the front. His time was only 0.123 seconds slower than Verstappen's, and earlier in Q3 he had also been provisionally fastest. Starting from 13th at Spa-Francorchamps, however, does not mean the race is lost in advance. The long straights, the possibility of using the slipstream and several areas suitable for overtaking often allow drivers to make progress, but congestion in the middle of the field increases the risk of incidents, especially at the first corner, La Source, and while accelerating toward the Eau Rouge–Raidillon complex.
Russell benefits, Ferrari remains very close
Russell will start third because of Norris's penalty, but his qualifying deficit to Antonelli amounted to slightly more than half a second. That is a significant difference between the two Mercedes drivers over a single lap, although Russell has shown several times during the season that he can maintain a strong race pace. For Mercedes, having the first and third starting positions is strategically valuable because it opens up more options for the team in the fight against Verstappen. At the same time, Antonelli and Russell are also competing against each other for the title, which means the team will have to carefully balance its shared interest with the drivers' individual ambitions.
Ferrari finished qualifying with Leclerc in fifth place and Hamilton in sixth, but the difference between them was only two thousandths of a second. Leclerc recorded a 1:44.893, while Hamilton set a 1:44.895. Hamilton's result carries additional weight because Ferrari had to repair his car before qualifying following an accident in the third free-practice session. According to Formula 1's official report, the team worked on the rear suspension, floor and rear wing to ensure that the car was ready for qualifying.
After the positions are adjusted because of Norris's penalty, Ferrari should hold fourth and fifth on the grid. This places both red cars immediately behind Russell and in a position to respond to any differing strategies from Mercedes and Red Bull. Piastri should start sixth, so despite Norris's drop, McLaren will still have one car in the leading group. Lindblad's eighth-fastest time, which moves him to seventh on the grid because of Norris's penalty, and Bortoleto's ninth-fastest time are also among the more notable qualifying achievements of the weekend, particularly given the competition from drivers belonging to the leading teams.
Antonelli arrived in Belgium as the championship leader
Antonelli had 179 points before the Belgian Grand Prix and led the drivers' standings, according to official Formula 1 data. Russell was second with 154 points, 25 fewer, while Hamilton was third with 147 points. They were followed by Leclerc with 108, Norris with 97, Piastri with 82 and Verstappen with 76 points. Such a standings order gives the Belgian race additional importance because Antonelli's closest pursuers are near enough for one unsuccessful weekend to noticeably change the balance of power.
The Italian had earlier achieved a run of five victories during the season and arrived in Belgium after a British Grand Prix weekend in which he did not score the expected number of points. Pole position at Spa-Francorchamps is therefore not only a continuation of a strong qualifying season but also a response after a setback in results. Starting ahead of Verstappen gives him the opportunity to control the opening phase of the race, but the Belgian circuit traditionally punishes excessive confidence. The driver who enters Eau Rouge first does not necessarily have to reach the braking zone for Les Combes first because the car behind can use the slipstream on the long climb and the Kemmel Straight.
That is precisely why Verstappen is a serious threat from the start. The multiple world champion qualified on the front row even though Red Bull has not accumulated points at the pace of the leading Mercedes team during the season so far. His lap of 1:44.678 was fast enough to keep Norris behind him, while Hadjar's assistance in creating a slipstream showed how focused Red Bull is on the details specific to Spa. After qualifying, Antonelli emphasized the importance of a good start and of retaining the position until the fifth corner, clearly indicating where he expects the first key duel of the race.
Spa-Francorchamps leaves little room for mistakes
The Belgian Grand Prix will be held on Sunday, July 19, starting at 3 p.m. local time. According to Formula 1's official schedule, the race consists of 44 laps on the 7.004-kilometer circuit. Spa-Francorchamps combines long flat-out sections with fast corners and major elevation changes, forcing teams to seek a compromise between low aerodynamic drag on the straights and a sufficient level of downforce in the middle sector. That compromise also affects overtaking opportunities and tire wear over longer stints.
Starting from pole position carries great value here, but it does not provide the same level of control as on circuits where overtaking is considerably more difficult. The first corner arrives very quickly, and the exit from La Source determines the speed toward Eau Rouge, Raidillon and the Kemmel Straight. The driver in second place can benefit from the slipstream in that section, so Antonelli's advantage depends both on his reaction at the start and on his exit speed from the first corner. Verstappen, on the other hand, will try to remain close enough to attack before Les Combes.
Pit-stop strategy could also be decisive. Because of the great length of the lap, every visit to the pits means a long period between a strategic decision and receiving feedback about the rivals' pace. A safety car or a change in weather conditions can quickly overturn the order, while the microclimate in the Ardennes region is known for allowing different parts of the circuit to have different conditions. Teams in Belgium therefore often have to make decisions before obtaining a complete picture of the situation around the entire lap.
A crowded midfield and disappointment for Aston Martin and Cadillac
Behind the top ten, qualifying produced a very close battle. Lawson finished 11th, ahead of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto in the Alpine cars. Nico Hülkenberg was 14th, while his Audi, according to Formula 1's official report, suffered a hydraulic leak that briefly delayed the start of Q3. Carlos Sainz took 15th place for Williams, Oliver Bearman was 16th for Haas, and Alexander Albon finished 17th after another elimination in Q1.
Esteban Ocon was 18th, while Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Pérez in the Cadillacs finished 19th and 20th. Behind them were Alonso and Stroll, both in Aston Martins, with times significantly slower than the rest of the field. Alonso recorded a 1:50.002 and Stroll a 1:50.177, more than two seconds behind Pérez. Additional penalties for power-unit components further complicated their position ahead of the race.
Such an order means that several faster cars, particularly Norris's McLaren and the penalized Red Bull, will be making their way through the midfield. This could increase the number of early overtakes, but it could also complicate the strategy of drivers starting around tenth place. Lawson, Gasly and Colapinto qualified behind drivers who will drop due to penalties, so they may gain better starting positions than their outright results suggest. For midfield teams, this is an opportunity to score points, but also a threat because they will have cars with noticeably greater pace behind them.
A sixth pole as an opportunity, not a guarantee
Antonelli's sixth pole position confirms the speed and consistency that have taken him to the top of the championship. On one of the most demanding circuits on the calendar, he beat Verstappen in a direct fight for the best starting position while leaving his teammate more than half a second behind. Nevertheless, the qualifying result is only an initial advantage. Spa-Francorchamps allows attacks, rewards slipstreaming and often turns small strategic differences into major changes in the order.
Mercedes enters the race with the championship leader on pole position and Russell immediately behind Verstappen. Red Bull has a champion on the front row, Ferrari has two cars near the front, and McLaren has speed that will have to be converted into Norris's charge from 13th place and Piastri's defense within the leading group. In such an order, Antonelli's greatest advantage is not only his starting position but also the opportunity to dictate the pace first. Whether that will be enough to increase his championship lead will be decided over 44 laps on Sunday at a circuit that rarely produces simple victories.
Sources:
- Formula 1 – official report and qualifying session coverage for the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix (link)
- Formula 1 – official qualifying results at Spa-Francorchamps (link)
- Formula 1 – official 2026 drivers' standings before the Belgian Grand Prix (link)
- FIA – decisions, technical documents and penalties for the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix (link)
- Formula 1 – official weekend schedule, circuit length and number of race laps (link)