Antonelli storms to sixth pole of 2026 at Spa, Verstappen second with tow; Alonso last after penalty

Antonelli's commanding pole

Kimi Antonelli secured his sixth pole position of the 2026 season with a lap of 1:44.361 around the 7.004 km Spa-Francorchamps circuit. The Mercedes driver was 0.317 seconds clear of Max Verstappen, who used a tow from teammate Isack Hadjar to claim second on the grid. Antonelli had topped the second practice session and carried that pace into qualifying, setting the fastest time in Q2 with a 1:45.142 before the final shootout. The Italian has now taken pole at two consecutive races and starts as the clear favourite for Sunday's 44-lap race.

It's great to be on pole, it wasn't an easy session. The track changed quite a bit, but we were able to improve lap by lap. Tomorrow is another day. I have Max next to me and it will be important to have a good start.

Red Bull's tow tactic and the red flag

Red Bull deployed Hadjar, already facing a 30-place grid penalty for a fifth engine of the season, to give Verstappen a slipstream on the long Kemmel straight. The tactic helped Verstappen gain around a tenth and a half, but it was not enough to match Antonelli's outright speed. The session was interrupted by a red flag with 6 minutes and 6 seconds remaining after Nico Hülkenberg ran wide and left debris on the track. Once the circuit was cleared, Antonelli delivered his decisive lap, while Verstappen acknowledged the tow's role in his front-row start.

The tow helped me, otherwise I wouldn't be on this podium, I would have been sixth. Hadjar started at the back and did a great job with the tow in the second sector. The car has been quite decent this weekend, but not at the level Antonelli has shown.

Grid penalties reshape the order

Lando Norris set the third-fastest time in Q3 but will drop 10 places on the grid after changing power unit components, leaving him 13th. George Russell moves up to third, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton completing the top five. Carlos Sainz qualified 15th and gains one spot to 14th due to Hadjar's penalty. Fernando Alonso, already struggling for pace, qualified 21st, only ahead of teammate Lance Stroll, and will start last after a 20-place penalty for electrical component changes on his Aston Martin. The circuit's length and overtaking opportunities made it a strategic choice for several teams to serve penalties this weekend.

It was a good qualifying but it's a shame to have a penalty.

Aston Martin's deepening crisis

Alonso's lap in Q1 was over four seconds slower than Norris's benchmark, and even the new Cadillac team, with Sergio Pérez, was two seconds faster. Aston Martin has invested heavily in a new factory, wind tunnel, and high-profile signings, but the AMR26 has been uncompetitive all season. The team hopes upgrades arriving for the next race in Hungary will bring a step forward, though the scale of the deficit suggests a long recovery. Adrian Newey, the team's chief technical officer, previously endured a similar crisis at McLaren in the early 2000s, when the MP4/18 was so poor the team reverted to the previous year's car mid-season.

Championship picture

Antonelli's pole extends his championship lead. He now has 179 points, 25 clear of Russell and 32 ahead of Hamilton. The Italian has converted 80% of his pole positions into victories this season and starts as favourite for Sunday's race, which begins at 15:00 local time. Verstappen, from the front row, will need to manage tyre degradation carefully on a circuit known for punishing long runs.