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Rookie Antonelli Snags Pole, Beats Verstappen by 0.3s

7/18/2026

23 4 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) took pole for the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix with a 1:44.361 lap.
Max Verstappen (Red Bull) qualified second, 0.317 seconds slower than Antonelli.
Lando Norris (McLaren) topped Q3 but will start 13th after a ten-place power-unit penalty.
Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) qualified sixth after repairing his car from a crash, with Charles Leclerc fifth.
The race starts at 2 pm on Sunday 19 July 2026, with build-up from 12:30 pm.

History

Historical Context

Since its return in 2007, Spa-Francorchamps has been a championship-deciding venue, where pole-sitters have won 503 of 1,158 races. Hamilton’s first Spa pole in 2008 launched his rise, while Antonelli’s 1:44.361 lap in 2026 made him the youngest pole-sitter, highlighting how fresh talent and aggressive team strategies now reshape F1 hierarchies.

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Story summary

Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) took pole for the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix with a 1:44.361 lap.
Max Verstappen (Red Bull) qualified second, 0.317 seconds slower than Antonelli.
Lando Norris (McLaren) topped Q3 but will start 13th after a ten-place power-unit penalty.
Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) qualified sixth after repairing his car from a crash, with Charles Leclerc fifth.
The race starts at 2 pm on Sunday 19 July 2026, with build-up from 12:30 pm.

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