Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli took pole position for Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix, comfortably beating Red Bull’s Max Verstappen into second place at Spa-Francorchamps in an intimidating margin of more than three-tenths of a second, the largest advantage for pole so far this season.
Lando Norris was third place, but McLaren’s defending world champion has a 10-place grid penalty after he used his fourth battery unit of the season, one more than allowed under regulations, meaning he’ll start Sunday’s race from 13th.
Antonelli’s team-mate and title rival George Russell – who trails the Italian by 25 points in the drivers’ championship – could only manage fourth, a full half a second back, leaving the British driver with serious work to do if he is to stay in the title fight.
Lewis Hamilton crashed out in final practice, but Ferrari were able to make repairs in time for qualifying. He finished sixth, behind team-mate Charles Leclerc in fifth.
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Mercedes demonstrated once more they are all but untouchable over the single lap this season, despite the swathe of upgrades every team has now employed, remaining unbeaten in qualifying despite Ferrari and Red Bull’s early pace.
Antonelli, who has suffered poor luck of late, with a battery failure in Spain and a broken wheel-shield at Silverstone, had wanted to reassert himself. He did so with assurance at Spa, taking his sixth pole from 10 meetings.
Isack Hadjar finished in 10th place for Red Bull but has incurred a 30-place penalty having used a series of new engine components, leaving him to start the race at the back of the grid.
Opening the final runs in Q3, Hadjar went out in front of Verstappen to give the Dutchman a tow in the final sector. It paid off as Verstappen set the pace with 1:44.984 on his second lap.
However, in his wake, Antonelli and Russell were already quicker in the first sector. Russell could not maintain the pace but Antonelli went faster, only for Norris to grab the top spot with a fine lap of 1:44.801 to go four-hundredths up on the Mercedes.
Norris had the edge then, even though he knew he could not claim pole as they entered the final laps. Hadjar once more went out in front of Verstappen, followed by the two Mercedes, with Norris at the back of the pack. Verstappen picked up a tow from his team-mate and made time in the second sector before he took the slipstream from Hadjar through Blanchimont, enough to go quickest, only to be immediately eclipsed by Antonelli on an absolute charge and without a tow.
Norris followed them home but went slightly wide and could not improve, aborting his last lap and Antonelli taking pole in 1:44.361. – Guardian
