Antonelli secures Belgian GP pole as Mercedes outpace Ferrari

Kimi Antonelli claimed pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, beating Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by 0.317 seconds to secure his sixth pole of the 2026 season.

The result positions Mercedes favourably in the commercial battle for the constructors' championship, a contest that dictates hundreds of millions of euros in prize money for the European teams. Antonelli leads the drivers' standings by 25 points over teammate George Russell, with Ferrari unable to mount a serious qualifying threat.

Verstappen qualified second but only after Red Bull deployed an overt team strategy. The team used Isack Hadjar, who starts last following a power unit change, to tow Verstappen through the flat-out final sector. "It was definitely helping me otherwise I would not be standing here," Verstappen said. "Otherwise I think I would be P6 or something."

McLaren’s prospects were complicated when Lando Norris, who initially set the pace in the final qualifying segment, went wide at the Fagnes Chicane on his last run. He will start 13th after a 10-place grid penalty for exceeding his control electronics allowance, removing a key front-runner from the early race battle.

Ferrari arrived at Spa expecting the high-speed layout to expose their engine deficits, and they finished fourth and fifth with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton crashed heavily in final practice, forcing Ferrari mechanics to change his suspension, floor and gearbox ahead of qualifying.

Russell qualified fourth but was half a second slower than Antonelli, a pace deficit he has struggled to explain all weekend. The Mercedes driver faces a defensive race, potentially looking over his shoulder at the Ferraris unless Antonelli can control the race from the front.

Further down the grid, British teenager Arvid Lindblad achieved his best qualifying result in eighth, ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto. Antonelli made a late front wing change to secure the top spot. "It was not a very straightforward session, the track changed a lot," Antonelli said. "But we were able to improve lap by lap and to bring home pole, which was nice."