Antonelli Storms to Belgian Grand Prix Pole as Norris Gets Grid Penalty
Kimi Antonelli has secured a sensational pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix after a chaotic qualifying session at Spa-Francorchamps that saw Lando Norris ruin his chances with a late excursion into the gravel.
With Norris already facing a 10-place grid penalty for engine component changes, the door was left wide open for a front-row shootout between Mercedes and Red Bull. Ultimately, it was Antonelli who delivered when it mattered most to claim his sixth pole of the 2026 season by three-tenths of a second.
Hamilton’s Miraculous Recovery
Before a wheel was even turned in Q1, the spotlight was firmly on the Ferrari garage. Lewis Hamilton had suffered a heavy shunt at the end of final practice, leaving his mechanics with a monumental rebuild job. The Scuderia worked frantically to replace his car’s suspension, floor and rear wing in time for the session.
The track temperature sat at a warm 38°C as the green light illuminated, but the immense length of the 7-kilometre circuit meant drivers had to be incredibly cautious. A single lock-up on the soft tyres would ruin a run with no time for a second attempt.
The first casualties of the afternoon included a struggling Aston Martin duo and Williams’ Alex Albon, who missed out on Q2 by a heart-breaking 0.007s.
Q1 Eliminations:
- 17th – Alex Albon
- 18th – Esteban Ocon
- 19th – Valtteri Bottas
- 20th – Sergio Perez
- 21st – Fernando Alonso
- 22nd – Lance Stroll
Midfield Tightens in Q2
As Q2 got underway, Antonelli began to flex his muscles. The Italian was half a second up on Max Verstappen in the first sector alone, immediately throwing down the gauntlet with a blistering 1m 45.142s.
Behind the front runners, the midfield battle was incredibly fraught. Rookies Arvid Lindblad and Gabriel Bortoleto both showed impressive pace to mix it with the established names, while George Russell struggled to find his rhythm in the second Mercedes. Russell has been vocal about his lack of confidence in this generation of car and found himself relying on late improvements to scrape through.
The session was briefly disrupted when Nico Hulkenberg suffered a hydraulic leak, forcing the Haas driver to pull over and help marshals push his stricken car to safety.
Q2 Eliminations:
- 11th – Pierre Gasly
- 12th – Franco Colapinto
- 13th – Lando Norris
- 14th – Nico Hulkenberg
- 15th – Carlos Sainz
- 16th – Ollie Bearman
Red Bull’s Tactics and McLaren’s Misery
The battle for pole in Q3 became a thrilling tactical affair. Red Bull perfectly orchestrated a tow for Verstappen, using Isack Hadjar, who is starting at the back of the grid due to power unit penalties, to punch a hole in the air down the Kemmel Straight.
The strategy initially paid off, with Verstappen setting a formidable 1m 44.984s. Antonelli quickly responded to edge ahead before Norris lit up the timing screens to go fastest by just 0.039s.
A brief red flag to clear gravel brought onto the track by Oscar Piastri set up a one-lap dash to the chequered flag.
Verstappen once again utilised a tow from Hadjar to jump to the top of the timesheets but Antonelli was not to be denied. The Mercedes driver hooked up a magnificent final sector to snatch pole position by a commanding three-tenths of a second.
All eyes then turned to Norris who was on a flying lap of his own. However, disaster struck at Turn 13 when the McLaren driver dipped a wheel into the gravel, forcing him to abandon the lap. Norris officially finished the session in third but his engine penalty means he will start Sunday’s race from 13th on the grid.
Provisional Top 5 Starting Order
| Driver | Team | Starting Position |
| Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1st |
| Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 2nd |
| Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 3rd |
| George Russell | Mercedes | 4th |
| Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 5th |
