Kimi Antonelli took pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix with a lap of 1m44.361s. The Mercedes driver beat Max Verstappen by 0.317s in the final part of qualifying. Lando Norris set the third-fastest time, while George Russell qualified fourth in the second Mercedes.
Grid penalties changed several positions behind the front row. Antonelli and Verstappen remain first and second on the official provisional grid. Russell moves to third because Norris drops ten places. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton are listed fourth and fifth.
Antonelli led both Q2 and Q3
Norris set the quickest lap in Q1 with 1m45.865s. Antonelli used a 1m46.304s lap to progress without leading the opening session. Six drivers were eliminated because the Belgian field contained 22 cars.
Antonelli moved to the top in Q2 with 1m45.142s. Leclerc was second in that part, 0.255s slower. Norris, Verstappen and Russell also reached Q3, while Liam Lawson missed the final group by 0.057s.
The Mercedes driver improved by 0.781s in Q3. His 1m44.361s lap remained the fastest after every final attempt. Verstappen reached 1m44.678s and Norris completed a 1m44.801s lap.
The front of the qualifying order was close behind pole
Russell qualified fourth with 1m44.869s. Leclerc followed at 1m44.893s and Hamilton recorded 1m44.895s. Only 0.026s separated Russell in fourth from Hamilton in sixth.
Oscar Piastri took seventh in the second McLaren. Arvid Lindblad and Gabriel Bortoleto followed. Isack Hadjar reached Q3 but did not record a time and was classified tenth.
Antonelli’s margin was larger than the gaps among the next four drivers. His lap was 0.440s faster than Norris and 0.508s faster than Russell. The result confirmed the pace already seen when he led final practice.
Power-unit penalties changed the published order
Norris carried a ten-place grid penalty and moved from third in qualifying to 13th provisionally. Hadjar also moved to the back group after a larger accumulated drop. Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll were affected by separate power-unit decisions.
Russell therefore moves from fourth to third for the current grid. Leclerc advances from fifth to fourth, while Hamilton moves from sixth to fifth. Piastri is promoted from seventh to sixth.
Lindblad, Bortoleto and Lawson are listed seventh, eighth and ninth. Pierre Gasly takes tenth. The changes behind them follow the official penalty sequence rather than a simple removal of one driver.
Mercedes place both cars near the front
| Pole | Kimi Antonelli, 1m44.361s |
|---|---|
| Second | Max Verstappen, +0.317s |
| Third in qualifying | Lando Norris, +0.440s |
| Provisional top three | Antonelli, Verstappen, Russell |
Antonelli gives Mercedes the first grid position. Russell occupies third on the provisional order. Verstappen separates the two silver cars on the front two rows.
Ferrari follow with Leclerc fourth and Hamilton fifth. Hamilton’s place came after Ferrari repaired damage from his FP3 crash. Piastri completes the first six in the remaining McLaren.
The final practice session had already featured Antonelli’s fastest lap and Hamilton’s Turn 13 crash.
The run from the start line to Les Combes offers a strong slipstream. Pole gives Antonelli a clear track position into the first corner. Antonelli starts with Verstappen directly beside him and Russell immediately behind.
Saturday’s grid remains officially provisional
The stewards issued the provisional starting grid at 20:10 local document time on Saturday. The notice includes all 22 drivers and the penalties applied at that stage. Antonelli is named first without a grid drop.
A final grid is normally released closer to the race. The Saturday grid document remains the reference for every technical amendment. Until that document appears, the Saturday provisional grid is the latest official starting order.
Antonelli’s pole itself is final as a qualifying result. He set the fastest Q3 lap and remains first in the published grid. Verstappen is second, with Russell moving into third after Norris’s penalty.
The provisional top ten differs from Q3
Antonelli remains first with his 1m44.361s pole lap. Verstappen remains second. Russell moves from fourth in qualifying to third on the published grid.
Leclerc is fourth and Hamilton fifth. Piastri moves to sixth. Lindblad, Bortoleto and Lawson occupy seventh, eighth and ninth.
Gasly completes the provisional top ten. Colapinto and Hulkenberg follow in 11th and 12th. Norris appears 13th after qualifying third and receiving a ten-place penalty.
Applied penalties convert the Q3 order into the provisional starting grid. Antonelli beat Verstappen by 0.317s. Norris was 0.440s behind pole before the penalty was applied.
The Saturday notice contains all 22 drivers and the current penalty order. A final grid is normally issued closer to the race. Pole position remains Antonelli’s confirmed qualifying result.
The lower half also changes after penalties
Sainz is listed 14th, followed by Bearman, Albon, Ocon, Bottas and Perez. Stroll takes 20th place.
Hadjar and Alonso complete the 22-car provisional order. Both appear behind drivers they had outqualified because of the applied component penalties.
Antonelli heads the provisional grid ahead of Verstappen and Russell. Leclerc and Hamilton form the next pair after Norris’s ten-place penalty, giving Mercedes first and third for the start at Spa.
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