Saturday of Formula 1 at Spa-Francorchamps ended with Kimi Antonelli on pole position and Gabriel Bortoleto among the top eight on the grid. Max Verstappen secured second position, while penalties changed the starting order for the Belgian GP.
Read more F1: Where to watch the 2026 Belgian GP race tomorrow? Find out here
Antonelli confirmed the strength shown by Mercedes since the practice sessions and beat Verstappen in Q3. The Dutchman acknowledged that the slipstream provided by Isack Hadjar was decisive in placing him on the front row, estimating a gain of about three tenths. Without the help of his teammate, Verstappen believes he could have finished only sixth.
Lando Norris recorded the third best time but dropped to 13th position due to a ten-place penalty for power unit component changes. As a result, George Russell moved up to third, followed by Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. Hadjar, Lance Stroll, and Fernando Alonso were also penalized, with the Red Bull and Aston Martin drivers occupying the last positions.
Bortoleto advanced to Q3 with Audi and finished qualifying ninth but inherited eighth place on the grid after the penalties. The Brazilian once again outperformed Nico Hülkenberg and will start near the front group, behind Arvid Lindblad and ahead of Liam Lawson.
Hamilton experienced a recovery Saturday after a heavy crash in TL3. Ferrari managed to rebuild the car in time for qualifying, and the Brit secured fifth position on the grid, despite stating that the balance was not the same as before the accident. Off the track, Red Bull appointed Tom Hart as the replacement for Gianpiero Lambiase as Verstappen’s race engineer.
Read more F1: Check out the images from this Saturday of the 2026 Belgian GP
