Antonelli claims Belgian GP pole, Verstappen second despite Red Bull tactics
Kimi Antonelli secured pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix in qualifying on Saturday (July 18, 2026), beating Red Bull's Max Verstappen by 0.317 seconds. The Mercedes driver dedicated the achievement to his father Marco, who turned 61 on the same day.
Verstappen had set the fastest time early in the session, benefiting from a coordinated slipstream with Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar. However, Antonelli found extra pace on his final lap to surpass the Dutchman. 'Let's go, man, let's go,' Antonelli said over the team radio after the lap.
With Verstappen starting second and Antonelli's teammate George Russell third, the 19-year-old Italian acknowledged the challenge of holding the lead into the first corner on Sunday. 'Hopefully if there's overtaking, it's just off in the distance,' he said, adding that he would focus on tire management.
Verstappen credited Hadjar's assistance for improving his grid position but conceded that Red Bull's race pace trails Mercedes. 'The gap in qualifying even with a massive tow is still three-tenths, so I don't really expect to race them tomorrow,' Verstappen said. Hadjar, penalised for a separate infringement, will start from the back of the grid.
McLaren's Lando Norris qualified third fastest but drops 10 places due to a grid penalty, promoting Russell to third. Russell, however, expressed frustration at his inability to match Antonelli, describing it as 'battling with one hand behind your back.' He noted that the team had 'changed everything' to understand the gap.
Ferrari had a disappointing session, with Charles Leclerc fifth and Lewis Hamilton sixth, a week after Leclerc's win at the British Grand Prix. Hamilton's car was rebuilt following a practice crash. Russell trails Antonelli by 25 points in the championship after winning in Austria last month, but has generally been outpaced by his teammate.
