Kimi Antonelli claimed pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, outpacing his Mercedes team-mate and title rival George Russell, who could only manage fourth place. The result is significant in the context of a tight championship battle, as Antonelli, who leads Russell by 25 points, continues to demonstrate strong form, while Red Bull's Max Verstappen used a slipstream tactic from team-mate Isack Hadjar to secure second on the grid despite his own car's shortcomings.

Antonelli beat Verstappen by 0.317 seconds, marking his sixth pole of the season from ten races, while Russell finished over half a second off the pace amid ongoing concerns about Mercedes' straight-line speed since Silverstone. McLaren's Lando Norris was an impressive third but faces a 10-place grid penalty for engine part usage, and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton rounded out the top six, separated by just 0.002 seconds. The race takes place on 19 July at 14:00 BST.