Andrea Kimi Antonelli takes sixth F1 pole in Spa thriller, beats Verstappen and Norris

Andrea Kimi Antonelli claimed his sixth Formula 1 pole position on Saturday at the Belgian Grand Prix, delivering a masterclass in Spa-Francorchamps to edge out Max Verstappen and Lando Norris in a tight Q3 shootout.

What happened?

On 19 July 2026, Antonelli topped the Spa qualifying session in changeable conditions, banking his sixth career pole after a nervy Q1 followed by a dominant final run. The Italian ace overcame a tricky start-where stronger winds unsettled his W17-before Mercedes found the sweet spot in Q3. His final lap beat Verstappen by 0.124s and Norris by 0.211s, extending Mercedes' 2026 qualifying dominance.

Why the wind hurt-and how he fixed it

Antonelli admitted the session felt "a bit lost" in Q1 as gusts shifted the car's balance toward the edge. "It was a weird qualifying because in Q1 I felt a bit lost, because the wind picked up a little bit and the balance was a bit more on the edge," he told the post-session press conference. A minor front-wing tweak between Q1 and Q2-just a flap adjustment-transformed the car's behavior. "Front wing. Just changed a little bit of flap, and that's it," he said. "Also, the lap was much tidier. Q1 was a bit all over the place."

Track cooling and Mercedes' low-drag edge

Antonelli also credited falling track temperatures for Mercedes' late gains. "I feel like the track was cooling down and it was helping us a little bit," he noted. The team's revised low-drag package paid off without sacrificing mid-corner strength, especially in Sector 2. "We brought a little package that helped us a little bit more on the straights, but in Sector 2 the car still felt good," he added. "Especially in Q3, it was good that we were strong in all the sectors."

Race preview: clean start, tyre management key

Now Antonelli turns his focus to Sunday's 44-lap race from pole. Converting it into victory hinges on a clean getaway and smart tyre use in a high-degradation Spa layout. "A good start and try to have good pace," he said. "Of course, the degradation is going to be very big, but we'll try our best to maximise the performance." When asked about potential overtakes, he joked: "Hopefully not. Hopefully it's just off in the distance." He stressed weather and tyre management would shape the race, adding: "For sure, it's a long run into Turn 5, and we'll try to get a good start.