Red Bull deployed every trick in the book at Spa-Francorchamps on Saturday. They sent Isack Hadjar out as a rolling chicane, handed Max Verstappen a tow worth roughly three tenths, and watched it make absolutely no difference. Kimi Antonelli stormed to pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix with a 1m 44.361s, beating Verstappen by 0.317 seconds and extending Mercedes’ unbroken qualifying streak across the entire 2026 season.
Red Bull’s Tow Tactic: Clever, But Not Clever Enough
With Hadjar already condemned to a back-row start due to a 30-place grid penalty for exceeding his power unit allocation, Red Bull had nothing to lose. They deployed the Frenchman as a slipstream vehicle, sending him out ahead of Verstappen in Q3 so the four-time world champion could drag himself through the final sector on borrowed air.
Verstappen was candid about what the tow was worth.
“It was definitely helping me, otherwise I would not be standing here. It would be P6 or something.” – Max Verstappen
That is a remarkable admission. Red Bull needed to manufacture a six-place gain just to reach the front row. On pure pace, they are nowhere near Mercedes. The tow earned Verstappen P2. It earned nothing more.
Antonelli Delivers When It Counts
It had not been a perfectly smooth session for the Italian. He looked strangely subdued in Q1, slipping behind George Russell for the only time all weekend. But from Q2 onwards, Antonelli turned the dial up sharply. In Q2 he posted a 1m 45.142s, pulling half a second clear of his team-mate in a single lap. That pattern continued into Q3, where his final effort produced the largest pole margin of the 2026 season to date, and his sixth pole in ten rounds. He equalled the career pole tally of Phil Hill, Alan Jones and Emerson Fittipaldi in one afternoon at Spa. Not bad for a driver yet to complete his first full season.
On his cool-down lap, Antonelli dedicated the pole to his father Marco, celebrating his 61st birthday on Saturday. Nice touch.
Russell Half a Second Back, and Mercedes Cannot Explain It
The gap between the two Mercedes drivers remains the most intriguing subplot of the championship. Russell finished fourth, 0.508 seconds adrift of his team-mate. Toto Wolff admitted Mercedes are still puzzling over where Russell is losing time, pointing to both the corners and the straights. One theory is that Russell is running an older power unit, while Antonelli received a fresher one. For now, it remains just a theory. For Russell, it remains a very expensive problem. He will start third after Lando Norris takes his 10-place grid penalty.
As we covered earlier this week, Russell has openly admitted the mental battle of trying to chase Antonelli is taking its toll.
Norris Third but Starting 13th, Ferrari Flattered to Deceive
McLaren’s Norris set an eye-catching 1m 44.801s on his first Q3 run and briefly led the session. He abandoned his second lap after running across the gravel at Turn 13, but it would not have beaten Antonelli regardless. The penalty drops him to 13th on the grid. The full story behind that penalty is worth a read if you missed it.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton qualified fifth and sixth, separated by just 0.002 seconds, both over half a second from pole. Hamilton’s Ferrari had been rebuilt after his FP3 crash at the same corner that claimed Gasly on Friday, with mechanics replacing the suspension, floor, rear wing and gearbox. Hamilton suggested he could have fought for the top three without that incident. Given the pace gap, that claim deserves a raised eyebrow or two.
Midfield Notes
Arvid Lindblad was impressive in eighth, Racing Bulls’ upgraded car clearly working a treat. Gabriel Bortoleto was ninth for Audi, while Nico Hulkenberg failed to reach Q3 after his car stopped on the return lap with a hydraulic leak, briefly delaying Q3. Alex Albon was eliminated in Q1 for the sixth time in ten weekends, with Williams team principal James Vowles reportedly telling him over the radio: “We just need to give you a better car.” At least someone at Williams is being honest.
Belgian Grand Prix Qualifying: Full Results
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:44.361 |
| 2 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1:44.678 |
| 3 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:44.801 |
| 4 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:44.869 |
| 5 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:44.893 |
| 6 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:44.895 |
| 7 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:45.016 |
| 8 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 1:45.143 |
| 9 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 1:45.628 |
| 10 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | No time |
| 11 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1:46.120 (Q2) |
| 12 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:46.331 (Q2) |
| 13 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 1:46.392 (Q2) |
| 14 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | 1:46.671 (Q2) |
| 15 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 1:46.777 (Q2) |
| 16 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | 1:46.779 (Q2) |
| 17 | Alex Albon | Williams | 1:47.120 (Q1) |
| 18 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | 1:47.801 (Q1) |
| 19 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 1:47.823 (Q1) |
| 20 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | 1:47.971 (Q1) |
| 21 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:50.002 (Q1) |
| 22 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:50.177 (Q1) |
The Belgian Grand Prix gets underway at 15:00 UTC on Sunday 19 July. Check the calendar for your local start time. With Antonelli leading from Verstappen and the Ferraris lurking just behind Russell, do not assume the pole sitter has it wrapped up. At Spa, the run down to La Source on lap one has a habit of reshuffling the order in ways nobody planned. Antonelli knows it too.
“I have Max starting next to me so it’s going to be important to get a good start and then try to be ahead into Turn 5.” – Kimi Antonelli
Simple enough plan. Whether the car and the moment cooperate is another matter entirely.
