Kimi Antonelli produced a dominant performance to secure pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, outpacing Max Verstappen by 0.317 seconds. The 19-year-old Italian’s sixth pole in 10 rounds this season extends Mercedes’ unbeaten run in qualifying.
Antonelli unfazed by recent setbacks
Despite suffering a battery failure in Spain and a wheel-shield issue at Silverstone, which reduced his championship lead from 64 points to 25, Antonelli showed composure and control. He flew around the Ardennes circuit with ease, beating Verstappen despite the Red Bull driver benefiting from a tow from teammate Isack Hadjar. “I’ve been feeling good with the car all year and it’s good to be more and more confident whenever I jump in it,” Antonelli said.
Verstappen acknowledges tow, but gap remains
Verstappen admitted Hadjar’s help was crucial, but noted the margin still highlighted Mercedes’ advantage. “Isack helped me a lot with the tow in the final sector. Otherwise it could have easily been P6 because the gaps behind were so close. The gap even in qualifying with a massive tow is still over three-tenths. So I don’t really expect to race them tomorrow,” Verstappen said.
Russell struggles, Norris penalized
George Russell could only manage fourth, half a second behind Antonelli, and expressed frustration with his car’s straight-line speed. “It’s frustrating, we thought we found the problem. We go through the process, we think it’s this, so we change it. I thought it was driver style, I changed it. It’s not the driving style. It feels like you’re battling with one hand behind your back, it’s a challenge,” Russell said.
Lando Norris took third for McLaren but will start 13th due to a 10-place grid penalty for using a fourth battery unit. He admitted he was not surprised by Mercedes’ pace. “The pole was by no means a given,” Norris said, but Antonelli found another level.
Hamilton recovers after crash
Lewis Hamilton crashed in final practice, hitting the barriers at Les Fagnes, but Ferrari repaired his car in time for qualifying. He finished sixth, behind teammate Charles Leclerc in fifth. The session saw tight margins, but Antonelli improved in every sector to claim pole with a time of 1:44.361.
Mercedes remain unbeaten in qualifying this season, and Antonelli will aim for his sixth win on Sunday if he avoids further misfortune.
