Kimi Antonelli claimed pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix in Formula 1 during qualifying on Saturday (18), but he knows the job is far from finished. With Max Verstappen beside him on the front row of the grid, the Italian stressed that a good start will be crucial to turning pole into victory.
The Dutchman briefly took provisional pole at Spa-Francorchamps, but the 19-year-old responded on the final lap with 1:44.361. The result secured pole by more than 0.3 seconds ahead of the four-time champion, the largest gap between first and second on the grid in 2026.
After leading the second and third practice sessions, the Mercedes driver confirmed the favoritism, although he had to make adjustments to the car throughout qualifying. The improvement in the track’s second sector was decisive for the lap that secured him the top position and an opportunity to extend his lead in the championship.
“It’s great to be on pole. It wasn’t a very easy session; the track changed quite a bit. But we managed to improve lap after lap and secure pole, which was very good. But tomorrow is another day and, obviously, Max will be starting beside me, so it’ll be important to have a good launch and be ahead by Turn 5,” he said.
About the decisive lap, Antonelli added: “The final lap was good. I improved a lot in the second sector, especially, so it was a good lap. Of course there were still a few little things here and there. But I’m happy with it.”
