Kimi Antonelli secures pole position at Belgian Grand Prix ahead of Max Verstappen
Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes achieved pole position at the Belgian Grand Prix, outpacing Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. Antonelli, who leads the championship by 25 points over teammate George Russell, finished 0.317 seconds faster than Verstappen. Verstappen benefited from a tow provided by teammate Isack Hadjar during qualifying.
McLaren’s Lando Norris secured third place, 0.440 seconds behind Antonelli, despite not completing his final lap. Norris will face a 10-place grid penalty due to exceeding his allowance of engine parts. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton qualified fifth and sixth, respectively.
Antonelli’s strong performance and team strategy
Antonelli has demonstrated strong form throughout the weekend, topping Friday practice and Saturday’s FP3 sessions. This pole position marks his sixth in 10 races this year. On his cool-down lap, Antonelli extended birthday wishes to his father, Marco, who was celebrating his 61st birthday.
Antonelli described his qualifying session, noting that Q1 was challenging due to changing wind conditions, but the car’s balance improved. He made a front wing adjustment for Q2 and felt strong in Q3, where he significantly improved his lap time. He emphasized that while pole position on Saturday is a good result, the points are earned in the race, highlighting the importance of a strong start.
Verstappen acknowledged the crucial role of Hadjar’s slipstream, stating it gained him 0.3 seconds in lap time. Without the tow, Verstappen believed he would have qualified around sixth place. Hadjar, who will start 21st due to a 30-place grid penalty for exceeding engine part limits, made it to Q3 with the clear mission of assisting Verstappen.
Laurent Mekies, Red Bull Team Principal, praised the execution of their strategy, noting that Hadjar’s assistance was planned early in the weekend. He added that the team is focused on reducing the gap to the ultimate pace, crediting efforts at the factory.
Challenges for other contenders
George Russell, who qualified fourth, expressed satisfaction with his final lap but admitted to struggling with pace, particularly on the straights, in recent races. He noted that despite efforts to identify and resolve the issue, including adjusting his driving style, the problem persists. Russell will start third on the grid after Norris’s penalty is applied.
Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, mentioned that the team is investigating the deficit in Russell’s performance, particularly on the run to the final chicane, which they cannot currently explain. He also highlighted the challenge of managing tire temperatures during qualifying.
Norris and McLaren did not anticipate such strong performance at Spa, initially expecting to be the fourth-fastest team. However, the car performed well throughout the weekend, with Norris being particularly competitive. He was 0.215 seconds quicker than teammate Oscar Piastri without completing a second lap. Norris will start 13th due to his penalty.
Leclerc, who was second fastest after the first runs in Q3, 0.053 seconds slower than Antonelli, could not maintain his pace. He attributed a disappointing final lap to mistaking a yellow flag at the pit entry for one on the track, causing him to back off. Hamilton also did not improve on his second attempt and ended up 0.002 seconds behind Leclerc.
Hamilton’s participation in qualifying followed a heavy crash in FP3. His team worked to repair the car, though Hamilton noted that the balance, particularly with the rear suspension, was not quite the same after the rebuild. He praised his mechanics for their efforts in getting the car ready in time.
Arvid Lindblad of Racing Bulls, driving an upgraded car, showed impressive pace, finishing 0.127 seconds slower than Piastri. Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto and Hadjar completed the top 10. Hadjar’s nominal 30-place penalty for engine parts will see him start 21st, ahead only of Fernando Alonso, who has a 20-place engine-related penalty.
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Source: bbc.com
