Antonelli stuns Verstappen with Spa pole as Mercedes stay perfect

Kimi Antonelli claimed pole at the Belgian Grand Prix with a stunning final lap at Spa-Francorchamps, beating Max Verstappen by 0.317 seconds despite Red Bull using team tactics to help the Dutchman.

The final lap that decided it

It was not straightforward from the start. Lando Norris had set the provisional fastest time after the first Q3 runs, but a red flag with six minutes remaining changed everything. Race control threw a red flag with around six minutes to go after gravel appeared on the circuit, turning the climax of Q3 into a mad dash, a one-lap shootout.

Antonelli got it done on the road with an impressive 1m44.361s, taking pole position by 0.317s ahead of his closest competitor, Max Verstappen. It is the 19-year-old’s sixth pole of the 2026 season. It also extended Mercedes’ perfect qualifying record this year. Mercedes continued its unbeaten qualifying streak in the 2026 Formula 1 season.

Antonelli’s sixth pole in 2026 was the best gift he could give to his father who was celebrating his birthday, and he said “Happy Birthday” over the radio on the cool-down lap.

How Red Bull tried to steal it

Red Bull had a clear plan going into qualifying. With Isack Hadjar taking a 30-place grid penalty for taking new power unit components, it was logical for Red Bull to use him to maximise the chances of Verstappen by giving him a slipstream.

Verstappen benefitted from a tow from his Red Bull team-mate Isack Hadjar, who sacrificed his Q3 as he has a 30-place grid penalty for multiple engine component changes. Initially, it looked like Verstappen had got too close to Hadjar on his final run down to the Bus Stop chicane at Spa-Francorchamps. But the plan still gave Verstappen a significant slipstream boost. You can read more about the Hadjar and Norris penalty situation here.

So good was Antonelli in his Mercedes that the Milton Keynes efforts fell short, as the Italian still took pole by a massive three tenths, especially impressive given that Verstappen had the benefit of the tow.

The grid for Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix

The top ten qualifying order was: 1) Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes; 2) Max Verstappen, Red Bull; 3) Lando Norris, McLaren (10-place grid penalty); 4) George Russell, Mercedes; 5) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari; 6) Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari; 7) Oscar Piastri, McLaren; 8) Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls; 9) Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi; 10) Isack Hadjar, Red Bull (starts at the back).

It marked the largest pole margin of the 2026 season so far, and Antonelli heads into Sunday’s grand prix looking to extend his 25-point lead over Mercedes team-mate George Russell, who will start third. Check the full Belgian Grand Prix Spa schedule for all session times on Sunday.

What Verstappen and Antonelli said after qualifying

Verstappen was honest about the tow after qualifying. “It was definitely helping me. Otherwise, I would not be standing here. Otherwise, I think you’re like P6 or something. So, I think today, knowing that, of course, he had to start at the back of the grid, he did a really good job giving me a tow in the final sector, and that’s why we’re standing right here.”

Antonelli said: “It’s great to be on pole. It was not a very straightforward session, the track changed a lot. But we were able to improve lap by lap and to bring home pole, which was nice. But tomorrow is another day and obviously I have Max starting next to me, so it’s going to be important to get a good start and then be ahead into Turn Five.”

What it means for the title

Pole keeps the young Italian firmly in the driving seat of the championship. Despite Verstappen looking strong across the F1 weekend, he was not able to best Antonelli, who proved once again why he leads the Drivers’ Championship.

Norris qualified third but will start 13th after his penalty, which helps Antonelli’s rivals thin out ahead of Sunday. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has warned that the Silver Arrows must fix their reliability woes, with Ferrari now breathing down the neck of points-leader Antonelli after taking two wins from the last three weekends. So pole matters, but the race is far from settled.

For the latest power unit developments affecting Sunday’s grid, Mercedes AMG F1 and Red Bull Racing have shared updates on their official sites. Stay close to all the Belgian GP action and check our full Belgian Grand Prix Spa schedule for everything you need ahead of Sunday’s race.