Mercedes’ Antonelli outpaces Verstappen to grab F1 Belgian Grand Prix pole position

Formula ⁠One leader Kimi Antonelli will start ⁠Sunday’s ⁠Belgian Grand ​Prix from pole position for ⁠Mercedes with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen ⁠alongside on the front ​row

Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli took pole position at the Belgian Grand Prix, comfortably beating Max Verstappen of Red Bull into second place at Spa-Francorchamps in an intimidating margin of more than three-tenths, the largest advantage for pole of the season.

Lando Norris was in 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 the regulations. He will start from 12th on the grid.

Antonelli’s teammate and title rival George Russell – who trails him by 25 points in the world championship –could manage only fourth, a full half a second back from the Italian, leaving the British driver serious work to do on Sunday if he is to stay with the Italian in the title fight.

Lewis Hamilton had crashed out in final practice, too quick into Les Fagnes where he hit the barriers taking significant damage, but Ferrari were able to make repairs in time for qualifying and he finished in sixth, behind his teammate Charles Leclerc in fifth.

Mercedes demonstrated once more that they are all but untouchable over the single lap this season, despite the swathe of upgrades every team has now employed and ensures the team remain unbeaten this season 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 and did so with assurance at Spa. It is his sixth pole from 10 meetings this season and the Italian has taken five wins.

Isack Hadjar finished in 10th place for Red Bull but in taking a series of new engine components he has incurred a 30-place penalty and will start from the back of the grid.

Opening the final runs in Q3 Hadjar, given his grid penalty, went out in front of Verstappen to give the Dutchman a tow in the final sector and it paid off as Verstappen set the pace with 1 minute 44.984-second lap.

However, in his wake Antonelli and Russell were already quicker in the first sector. Russell could not maintain the pace but Antonelli did go 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 as 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 Red Bull teammate 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 notably without a tow.

Norris followed them home but went slightly wide and could not improve and aborted his last lap, ensuring Antonelli had pole with a time of 1:44.361, more than three 10ths up on Verstappen.