Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli qualifies on pole for F1''s Belgian Grand Prix
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli secured pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix, outperforming Red Bull's Max Verstappen in qualifying. Despite strategic assistance from his teammate, Verstappen acknowledged that the Mercedes car currently holds a performance advantage in race conditions.
Why it matters
The result highlights the emergence of a new talent in Formula 1 and shifts in competitive dynamics between top racing teams.
Kimi Antonelli beat a display of Red Bull formation flying to take pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix in qualifying on Saturday (July 18, 2026) and boost his Formula 1 title charge.
Max Verstappen had set the fastest time after smart coordination with Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar to give him the strongest possible slipstream on his lap.
Mercedes driver Antonelli found a new level of pace on his lap to beat Verstappen by 0.317 of a second and dedicated the pole position as a birthday present to his father Marco, who turned 61 on Saturday (July 18).
“Let's go, man, let's go,” he said over the radio.
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