In an exciting qualifying session at the Belgian Grand Prix, Andrea Kimi Antonelli has achieved his sixth pole position of the season, surpassing Max Verstappen by 0.317 seconds. With a time of 1m44.361s, the Italian has upheld Mercedes‘ tradition of dominating qualifying.
Verstappen, who had clocked a fast time with the help of Isack Hadjar to gain a slipstream, briefly led before Antonelli overtook him. Despite the Dutch driver’s efforts, none of the other competitors were able to get close to his record during the final round.
Aside from Antonelli and Verstappen, Lando Norris achieved the third-best time, although he will be penalized with a 10-place grid drop for engine changes, so he will start from the twelfth position. Others occupying the front rows include George Russell and Charles Leclerc, who secured fourth and fifth places, respectively.
The qualifying session was briefly interrupted by a red flag when some gravel was treated on the track, creating a longer interval between Q3 rounds. Antonelli and Verstappen capitalized on their second opportunity, with Antonelli remaining the fastest of the session.
With this result, the Mercedes team once again positions itself in a strong contest for victory, while attention shifts to the race on Sunday, where grid dynamics and team strategies will be crucial to the outcome. The GP promises to be intense, with a mix of young and veteran talents fighting for the win.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
