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Russell: Impossible to challenge Antonelli with current issues (0:41)
Tom Rostance
Jul 19, 2026, 07:00 AM ET
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Kimi Antonelli is targeting his sixth career victory at the Belgian Grand Prix, and you can follow the latest updates on ESPN.
The Italian youngster stormed to pole position and beat Red Bull's Max Verstappen to the line by 0.317 seconds.
- Kimi Antonelli storms to pole position at Belgian Grand Prix
- George Russell says gap to Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli down to power deployment, not driving style
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a minute ago
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Tom Rostance
a minute ago
11:38 UTC
Ch-ch-ch-changes!
There are plenty of changes to the grid today with Carlos Sainz, Lando Norris, Isack Hadjar, Fernando Alonso and teammate Lance Stroll all taking penalties.
(Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)
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7 minutes ago
11:32 UTC
'Important to get a good start'
Antonelli was at his sparkling best to take pole position on Saturday and has Max Verstappen alongside him on the grid.
"It was not a very straightforward session, the track changed a lot," Antonelli said.
"But tomorrow is another day and obviously I have Max starting next to me so it's going to be important to get a good start and then be ahead into Turn Five."
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18 minutes ago
11:20 UTC
Welcome to Spa!
The Belgian Grand Prix is always a race weekend fans and drivers look forward to as the drivers make their way through the high-speed rollercoaster in the Ardennes region.
It's a mix of long straights, dramatic elevation changes and intense fast corners such as Eau Rouge and Raidillon that the drivers love because it tests their ability to the maximum.
The weather is completely unpredictable at Spa and always adds to the drama this circuit brings.
Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso labelled it as "probably the best circuit in the world, and every lap you do here is magic."
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32 minutes ago
11:06 UTC
How they qualified
- Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
- Lando Norris (McLaren)
- George Russell (Mercedes)
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
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Tom Rostance
38 minutes ago
11:00 UTC
Spa serves it up again
Another Sunday, another Spa day!
Kimi Antonelli, championship leader, has put his Mercedes on pole position in Belgium and after a tricky run of results is looking to take charge of the title race again.
Shall we?
(Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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Verstappen had the help of a tow from his teammate Isack Hadjar on his flying lap in the final session around Spa.
"Of course, Isack in Q3 helped me a lot with the tow in the final sector," Verstappen said. "That's why, of course, I'm sitting here [in second place.]
"Otherwise, it could have easily been P6 because the gaps behind were so close. So, yeah, thank you to him for that. I think, as a team, we did everything we could."
McLaren's Lando Norris qualified for Sunday's race in third and was 0.440 seconds back. However, the reigning world champion has a 10-place grid penalty after the team fit his car with a new battery, his fourth of the season.
Antonelli's teammate George Russell finished down in fourth and said afterwards that his current deficit is not down to driving style, but in how both the Mercedes cars are deploying power differently. He will be bumped up to third after Norris' penalty.
The Brit said: "That's what we thought, coming out of Silverstone, we thought it was in the driving style and technique but we've finally concluded it's not and, you know, we've changed everything."
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who took his first win at the British Grand Prix last time out, will start the Belgian Grand Prix down in fourth. His teammate Lewis Hamilton is behind.
Oscar Piastri in the other McLaren is sixth and Racing Bulls' Arvid Lindblad in seventh.
Originally published by espn.com —
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