Oscar Piastri starts seventh at Belgian GP as Antonelli claims pole

Oscar Piastri will start seventh at the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix after Kimi Antonelli dominated qualifying to claim pole position. The 19-year-old Italian, who leads the Formula 1 championship standings, beat Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by 0.317 seconds in a thrilling session at Spa-Francorchamps.

What happened in qualifying?

Antonelli’s Mercedes proved unstoppable despite Verstappen’s clever slipstream strategy. Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar helped Verstappen by staying ahead through the Blanchimont corners before pulling aside at the last moment. However, Antonelli still managed to outpace Verstappen by three-tenths of a second.

Piastri’s McLaren teammate Lando Norris initially qualified third but will drop 10 places due to a grid penalty. Piastri, meanwhile, secured a solid seventh-place start.

Why it matters for Oscar Piastri

Piastri’s seventh-place start keeps him in contention for a strong race result. While he won’t be on the front row, his McLaren has shown strong race pace this season. The Australian will need to navigate the chaotic first lap at Spa, where overtaking is common.

Antonelli’s dominance adds pressure to Piastri’s championship hopes. The Italian now leads the standings by 25 points over George Russell, with Piastri further back in the title race.

What comes next?

The Belgian Grand Prix starts today at 11pm AEST. Piastri will aim to move up the field from seventh, while Antonelli looks to extend his championship lead. Verstappen and Russell will be key rivals to watch, with Verstappen admitting his Red Bull struggles to match Mercedes in race conditions.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton will start fifth and sixth, respectively, after a disappointing qualifying session. Hamilton’s participation was in doubt after a practice crash, but Ferrari rebuilt his car in time for the race.