Kimi Antonelli raced to an emphatic pole position for Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix to leave his world championship rivals trailing in his wake.
The 19-year-old Mercedes F1 driver headed into qualifying as the man to beat after topping two of the three practice sessions in Spa-Francorchamps and he delivered on his status with a brilliant lap. Antonelli saved his very best to last to see off Red Bull driver Max Verstappen by 0.317 seconds.
Lando Norris qualified third, four tenths down on Antonelli, but the world champion will line up from 13th as he serves a 10-place grid penalty for exceeding his allocated number of engine parts.
“It is great to be on pole,” said Antonelli. “It was not a straightforward session, but we were able to improve lap by lap. Tomorrow is another day, but I have Max starting behind me so it is imperative to get a good start and lead into turn five. It is going to be fun tomorrow.”
Follow live F1 updates from the Belgian Grand Prix with The Independent.
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F1 BELGIAN GRAND PRIX - LATEST UPDATES
- Kimi Antonelli wins the Belgian GP; Leclerc 2nd; Verstappen 3rd
- Click HERE for the top-10
- ANGRY! Hamilton unhappy with Ferrari strategy (Lap 18/44)
- LEAD SWAP! Antonelli loses and then regains the lead on lap 1
- CRASH! Russell out after incident with Lewis Hamilton
Charles Leclerc after finishing second:
16:03 , Kieran Jackson“I believed in the win until the end. VSC was a bit of luck; pace was relatively strong and there were some laps on the hard where I’ve been struggling with the front axle.
“I’ve felt better with the car but it’s a step forward.”
Kimi Antonelli after his win:
15:51 , Kieran Jackson“Great to be back on the top step after a few difficult rounds, hard fought race. A tough win, Charles was quick, we had to hold on.
“Momentum was there, just about getting the result. You’ve got to try and take every opportunity, the situation can swing, keep performing and bringing the results and we’ll see at the end of the season.”
Antonelli’s lead is now 45 points over nearest contender, Lewis Hamilton...
Top-10 in Belgium
15:40 , Kieran Jackson1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
4. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
5. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
6. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull)
7. Lando Norris (McLaren)
8. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi)
9. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls)
10. Franco Colapinto (Alpine)
Kimi Antonelli wins the Belgian GP
15:31 , Kieran JacksonComposed and mature drive from championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who extends his lead with victory in Belgium!
Charles Leclerc finishes second with Max Verstappen completing the podium in third.
A first Spa winner from pole since 2021!
4-10: Hamilton, Piastri, Hadjar, Norris, Bortoleto, Lindblad, Colapinto
Antonelli extends lead (Lap 44/44)
15:27 , Kieran JacksonAntonelli has dropped Leclerc with a 2.5-second lead.
Norris, in 7th, now 1.2 seconds off Hadjar in 6th - can he catch him?
Final lap.
Top-5 after 40 laps
15:23 , Kieran Jackson1. Antonelli
2. Leclerc +1.4
3. Verstappen +9.0
4. Hamilton +3.5
5. Piastri +2.5
Hamilton passes Piastri for fourth (Lap 40/44)
15:21 , Kieran JacksonFerrari showing their form late on!
Hamilton just makes it stick down the Kemmel Straight over Piastri - and he’s up to fourth!
Hamilton may get a penalty for the unsafe release so he’ll want to speed down the road.
Five laps to go...
Leclerc keeping Antonelli honest (Lap 37/44)
15:19 , Kieran JacksonAntonelli has not dropped Leclerc, who is still within a second.
This is not over yet!
Antonelli retakes the lead (Lap 34/44)
15:09 , Kieran JacksonThat was coming.
Antonelli has more pace and power and cruises past before turn 5 - Leclerc powerless to stop it!
Antonelli back up in front.
Slow Norris pit stop (Lap 31/44)
15:07 , Kieran JacksonThis is going to cost Norris!
The McLaren driver eventually dives in but issues with the rear-left tyre means he drops behind Hadjar and Bortoleto when back out on track.
He’s now down to eighth.
Verstappen takes third place (Lap 29/44)
15:01 , Kieran JacksonThis one was tight!
Verstappen overtakes heading into turn 5 but brakes very late - Norris fights back but can’t get past the Red Bull.
When will Norris make his stop?
At the front, Leclerc has a 2.6-second lead over Antonelli.
Top-10 after 25 laps
14:52 , Kieran Jackson1. Leclerc
2. Norris
3. Antonelli
4. Verstappen
5. Piastri
6. Hamilton
7. Hadjar
8. Bortoleto
9. Lindblad
10. Lawson
Leclerc leads (Lap 23/44)
14:50 , Kieran JacksonFresher tyres on, Leclerc storms past Norris on the Kemmel Straight and now leads the race!
VSC (Lap 21/44)
14:46 , Kieran JacksonLeclerc and Hamilton dive into the pits in a VSC period - debris on track, we assume - and Leclerc comes out in second, ahead of Antonelli and Verstappen!
Hamilton had to serve his penalty so actually is behind Piastri. And he almost ran over one of his mechanics in the pit-box! He’s all OK.
And Norris, yet to pit, leads!
Belgian Grand Prix
14:45 , Kieran Jackson
Kimi Antonelli pits (Lap 19/44)
14:43 , Kieran JacksonAntonelli pits and gets out just in front of Verstappen.
Leclerc now leads the race though, ahead of Hamilton.
Meanwhile, at Ferrari:
Hamilton’s engineer: “We are opening the gap to Piastri... we need to serve a five-second penalty.
Hamilton: “Another one...”
Lewis Hamilton on team radio (Lap 18/44)
14:40 , Kieran JacksonHamilton: “What lap are we on?”
Engineer: “Lap 18.”
Hamilton: “Why the hell... I told you what strategy I wanted to do, you’ve just put me out with everyone else now.”
Engineer: “We are now on plan B.”
Max Verstappen pits (Lap 18/44)
14:39 , Kieran JacksonA 2.5-second stop for the Red Bull driver as he becomes the first frontrunner to make a stop - and he emerges in sixth, ahead of his teammate Isack Hadjar.
Top-10 after 15 laps
14:34 , Kieran Jackson1. Antonelli
2. Verstappen
3. Leclerc
4. Hamilton
5. Piastri
6. Norris
7. Lindblad
8. Lawson
9. Gasly
10. Colapinto
George Russell on lap one incident:
14:32 , Kieran Jackson“I got totally swallowed up down the straight, lost three positions. The incident was a racing incident; maybe I could have gone wider, he could have braked a bit more. The incident doesn’t happen if I have the speed down the straight.
“No words at the moment.
“Appreciate everyone is working hard to solve the problem, stood here on lap 5 of the race, felt like I was in a position to fight for the lead at turn 1 so no power and all gone.”
Antonelli slowly building lead (Lap 11/44)
14:30 , Kieran JacksonDespite all the drama behind him, Antonelli has built his lead to two seconds.
So to clarify: Leclerc (third) and Piastri (fifth) under investigation while Hamilton (fourth) has a five-second penalty to serve.
Hamilton up to fourth (Lap 9/44)
14:24 , Kieran JacksonPiastri has now lost a spot - with Hamilton holding superior pace to take fourth at turn 5!
But the stewards have dished Hamilton a five-second penalty for that lap 1 incident with Russell.
Ah, Lewis...
Piastri and Leclerc touch (Lap 8/44)
14:22 , Kieran JacksonIn the battle for third, it’s turn 5 again and Piastri and Leclerc make contact, with some bodywork leaving the McLaren!
Piastri: “He didn’t leave enough space, that could have been a massive crash.”
The stewards will want to take a look at that...
Verstappen takes second (Lap 6/44)
14:21 , Kieran JacksonVerstappen had more pace and energy into turn 5 and breezes past Leclerc for second place!
The Red Bull driver now just 0.9 secs off Antonelli...
Top-10 after 6 laps
14:17 , Kieran Jackson1. Antonelli
2. Leclerc +1.0
3. Verstappen +1.7
4. Piastri +2.5
5. Hamilton +3.3
6. Lawson +4.1
7. Lindblad +4.5
8. Colapinto +5.2
9. Norris +6.1
10. Bortoleto +6.7
Safety car in (Lap 5/44)
14:15 , Kieran JacksonSafety car is in.
Hamilton and Russell’s incident is under investigation.
Hamilton and Piastri get a bit fesity at turn 1 but the McLaren driver makes the position up (P4) up Eau Rouge.
We’re back racing!
Russell crash (Lap 3/44)
14:10 , Kieran JacksonRussell and Hamilton did indeed tangle at turn 5, after Russell dropped down to sixth on the straight with a mental lack of power!
“Car crossed right in front of me, had another car in front of me too,” said Hamilton.
For me, racing incident, especially given it’s lap 1.
In addition, Leclerc made some ground on Verstappen to take second.
SAFETY CAR (Lap 2/44)
14:07 , Kieran JacksonRussell is out - beeched in the gravel! A nightmare for the Mercedes driver and his world championship charge.
He was struggling for speed going up Eau Rouge - but made contact with Hamilton at turn 5!
Safety car is out.
Verstappen leads and then loses it!
14:06 , Kieran JacksonDrama at the start!
Antonelli lost the lead at turn 1 but then regained it heading into turn 5 with a massive slipstream!
But Russell and Hamilton have touched and Russell has spun and is in the gravel!
Belgian Grand Prix - formation lap
14:02 , Kieran JacksonKimi Antonelli leads the pack away then for the longest formation lap of the season.
All the top-12 are on mediums but Lando Norris, in P13, is on hards. He’s looking to go long.
The back three, including Isack Hadjar, also on hard tyres.
Here we go then!
A reminder of the grid:
13:58 , Kieran Jackson1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
3. George Russell (Mercedes)
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
5. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
6. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
7. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls)
8. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi)
9. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
10. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
11. Franco Colapinto (Alpine)
12. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi)
13. Lando Norris (McLaren)*
14. Ollie Bearman (Haas)
15. Alex Albon (Williams)
16. Esteban Ocon (Haas)
17. Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac)
18. Sergio Perez (Cadillac)
19. Carlos Sainz (Williams)*
20. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)*
21. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull)**
22. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)***
*Norris, Stroll and Sainz have a 10-place grid penalty and will start in 13th
**Hadjar has a 30-place grid penalty and will start in 21st
***Alonso had a 20-place grid penalty and will start 22nd
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff:
13:53 , Kieran JacksonOn weather: “We really don't know what to expect in Spa.”
On Russell speed issue: “I really hope we've found the root cause on the engine, there's something we saw.”
On Verstappen at start: “It's a bit of an unknown about the slipstream, but energy management will be the prevailing factor, it will be a surprise box but curious to see how it will pan out.”
Max Verstappen, who starts P2:
13:49 , Kieran Jackson“Looks like a bit of rain around, I don't think it's going to rain, I might jinx it!
“I want a decent start but the race-pace is unknown.”
Belgian national anthem
13:45 , Kieran JacksonAs the skies turn a bit dark over Spa-Francorchamps, the Belgian national anthem is beautifully sung by singer Typh Barrow.
A reminder of the grid:
13:42 , Kieran Jackson1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
3. George Russell (Mercedes)
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
5. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
6. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
7. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls)
8. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi)
9. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
10. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
11. Franco Colapinto (Alpine)
12. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi)
13. Lando Norris (McLaren)*
14. Ollie Bearman (Haas)
15. Alex Albon (Williams)
16. Esteban Ocon (Haas)
17. Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac)
18. Sergio Perez (Cadillac)
19. Carlos Sainz (Williams)*
20. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)*
21. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull)**
22. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)***
*Norris, Stroll and Sainz have a 10-place grid penalty and will start in 13th
**Hadjar has a 30-place grid penalty and will start in 21st
***Alonso had a 20-place grid penalty and will start 22nd
Top-10 - driver standings:
13:30 , Kieran JacksonAntonelli’s lead is 25 points.
1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) - 179 points
2. George Russell (Mercedes) - 154 points
3. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) - 147 points
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 108 points
5. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 97 points
6. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 82 points
7. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 76 points
8. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) - 52 points
9. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) - 42 points
10. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) - 39 points
Lewis Hamilton, who starts P5:
13:20 , Kieran Jackson“Cold. I love it here, we’ve got a great turnout, today is a lot of opportunities; it will be tough to catch Kimi.
“Every second you get on this track – I remember growing up watching at home with Michael [Schumacher] racing, Formula 3 came here in 2005. Every time you come here, there’s nothing like this track, I wish we had more sessions!”
Martin Brundle on energy management on high-speed corners.
13:14 , Kieran Jackson“I’ve got a tear in my eye. It’s hurt us in Silverstone and it hurts us here.
“These regulations hurt us on high-speed circuits. We have to get rid of this - we’re doing stuff for 2027 and we have to remove this concept for 2030.”
George Russell, who starts P3:
13:08 , Kieran Jackson“I’m going into today positively. Anything can happen - going to do my best, from tomorrow onwards the team are going to work hard to resolve it [straight-line speed issue].
“Nothing you can do or change on the car. It is what it is.
“Tough days are coming regularly. Luck has swung at points, gone in both directions. Go as fast as we can.”
Constructor standings ahead of Spa
13:00 , Kieran Jackson1. Mercedes - 333 points
2. Ferrari - 255 points
3. McLaren - 179 points
4. Red Bull - 128 points
5. Alpine - 60 points
6. Racing Bulls - 59 points
7. Haas - 21 points
8. Williams - 11 points
9. Audi - 6 points
10. Aston Martin - 1 point
11. Cadillac - 0 points
Colapinto and Sainz on World Cup final day
12:52 , Kieran JacksonFranco reppin' Argentina on race day! 🇦🇷#F1 #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/tTK208nSGK
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 19, 2026
Carlos is here! 🇪🇸
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 19, 2026
Rocking the @SEFutbol shirt for race day! #F1 #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/aYF69wdWvs
Max Verstappen, who qualified P2:
12:44 , Kieran Jackson“Tow was definitely helping me, wouldn’t be standing here. Isack did a really good job in the final sector.
“For the race, I’ll be looking in my mirrors, the car has honestly been quite decent. We are happy of course to be on the front row.”
Carlos Sainz has a 10-place grid penalty
12:24 , Kieran JacksonSainz has taken a new power unit element and, as such, has been handed a 10-place grid penalty.
The Williams driver did qualify P14.
Lewis Hamilton, who will start P5:
12:15 , Kieran Jackson“Firstly, a big thank you to the team for the incredible job they did getting the car back together after FP3. I'm grateful as always for all their hard work. The car lacked some stability in qualifying, and we knew that the first and last sectors would be our biggest challenge, but we managed to extract the maximum from today's package.
“We’re starting in a decent position tomorrow and I'll be giving everything I can to move us forward.
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur:
12:00 , Kieran Jackson“We have slightly mixed feelings after this session, as we knew before the weekend that this track would be quite difficult for us, although overall, I think our performance was decent.
“If you consider that Verstappen benefited from a slipstream and Charles had to deal with the yellow flag situation in which he probably lost one place, I’d say it wasn’t a bad session for us. As for Lewis, the team did a great job to get the car fixed in time after his crash.
“It’s never ideal to go into quali like this but he has had good pace all weekend.Now focus on ourselves, knowing there is a long race ahead of us tomorrow. We made a good step forward after FP3 and will fight, knowing we always perform a bit better in the race. It will be difficult for all the teams to decide the best way to deploy energy to either defend or attack.”
Lando Norris, who qualified P3:
11:45 , Kieran Jackson“We’ve not changed anything, nice to be standing here, not nice knowing I have to go 10 places back. We made the most of it, still a very good qualifying. I performed well all weekend so far and we can have a good race tomorrow.
“The car is performing well, there’s plenty of opportunities, a long race, put on a bit of a show for you.”
Norris will start P13...
Kimi Antonelli surges to dominant Belgium GP pole position as Lewis Hamilton struggles
11:25 , Kieran JacksonKimi Antonelli raced to an emphatic pole position for Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix to leave his world championship rivals trailing in his wake.
The 19-year-old Mercedes F1 driver headed into qualifying as the man to beat after topping two of the three practice sessions in Spa-Francorchamps and he delivered on his status with a brilliant lap.
Antonelli saved his very best to last to see off Red Bull driver Max Verstappen by 0.317 seconds.
Lando Norris qualified third, four tenths down on Antonelli, but the world champion will line up from 13th as he serves a 10-place grid penalty for exceeding his allocated number of engine parts.
Antonelli surges to dominant Belgium GP pole position as Hamilton struggles
What is the starting grid on Sunday?
09:00 , Kieran Jackson1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
3. George Russell (Mercedes)
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
5. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
6. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
7. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls)
8. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi)
9. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
10. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
11. Franco Colapinto (Alpine)
12. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi)
13. Lando Norris (McLaren) *
14. Carlos Sainz (Williams)
15. Ollie Bearman (Haas)
16. Alex Albon (Williams)
17. Esteban Ocon (Haas)
18. Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac)
19. Sergio Perez (Cadillac)
20. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)*
21. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull)**
22. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)***
*Norris and Stroll have a 10-place grid penalty and will start in 13th
**Hadjar has a 30-place grid penalty and will start in 21st
***Alonso had a 20-place grid penalty and will start 22nd
Aston Martin chief trackside officer Mike Krack:
03:00 , Kieran Jackson“It's another tough Saturday, but we know this is our situation and we just focused on delivering a well-executed Qualifying session. Tyre preparation was good for both Lance and Fernando, and they both placed their cars well to pick up a tow on their best laps.
“With our current performance level, it won't be an easy race, but we will focus to extract what we can tomorrow. Just one more race and then we can focus on Budapest.”
Fernando Alonso after qualifying P21:
01:00 , Kieran Jackson“It was difficult out there today in Qualifying, but it’s as we expected. We still try to do our best and this has been the case over the last ten races for us. We will make sure we maximise everything tomorrow and continue learning what we can to find every bit of performance. Tomorrow will be about doing everything we can at the highest level.”
Charles Leclerc after qualifying:
Saturday 18 July 2026 23:00 , Kieran Jackson“I was very satisfied with my first lap in Q3, while on my second lap I lost some time by lifting when I saw the yellow flag being waved at the pit lane for Isack (Hadjar). There may have been a few hundredths to gain there, but there wasn’t much more to extract from our car today.
“Our pace overall looks quite solid, even if our competitors are performing at a very high level and there is still a significant gap to them. We will see what we can bring home tomorrow. This track doesn’t really suit the characteristics of our car, so it could be challenging to overtake and defend during the race, especially in the straight lines.
“We will push to gain some positions at the start and take it from there. A podium would be a good result for us.”
Lewis Hamilton, who will start P5:
Saturday 18 July 2026 20:00 , Kieran Jackson“Mercedes are very very fast, they’re just the quickest team in qualifying.
“Definitely think we can go forward tomorrow, we’ll definitely try our best.”
George Russell, who will start P3:
Saturday 18 July 2026 19:00 , Kieran JacksonOn why he’s losing pace in the straights: “We thought it was driving style, we're finally concludes it's not. We've changed everything, four-tenths in the straights in Q3. Frustrating, every single lap, I've seen five-tenths.
“The team are working so hard to understand what it is, we saw it as early as Austria, we always thought there was a reason, we thought we found the problem at Silverstone, I thought it was the driving style, changed, it's not.”
On race: “Anything can happen but truth is, battling against my teammate at the best of times is a tall order. When you feel like you're battling with one hand behind your back, it's a challenge. I pray I'm going to endure the pain of this issue tomorrow and try and get a great result.”
What is the starting grid on Sunday?
Saturday 18 July 2026 18:00 , Kieran Jackson1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
3. George Russell (Mercedes)
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
5. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
6. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
7. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls)
8. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi)
9. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
10. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
11. Franco Colapinto (Alpine)
12. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi)
13. Lando Norris (McLaren) *
14. Carlos Sainz (Williams)
15. Ollie Bearman (Haas)
16. Alex Albon (Williams)
17. Esteban Ocon (Haas)
18. Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac)
19. Sergio Perez (Cadillac)
20. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)*
21. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull)**
22. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)***
*Norris and Stroll have a 10-place grid penalty and will start in 13th
**Hadjar has a 30-place grid penalty and will start in 21st
***Alonso had a 20-place grid penalty and will start 22nd
What time is the race on Sunday?
Saturday 18 July 2026 16:59 , Kieran JacksonThe Belgian Grand Prix starts at 2pm (BST) at Spa-Francorchamps.
Max Verstappen, who qualified P2:
Saturday 18 July 2026 16:35 , Kieran Jackson“Tow was definitely helping me, wouldn’t be standing here. Isack did a really good job in the final sector.
“For sure tomorrow, I’ll be looking in my mirrors, the car has honestly been quite decent. We are happy of course to be on the front row.
Kimi Antonelli after claiming his sixth pole of 2026:
Saturday 18 July 2026 16:22 , Kieran Jackson“Great to be on pole, was a not very straightforward session, we were able to improve lap by lap and bring home pole. Tomorrow is another day, Max starting next to me, important to get a good start.
“The last lap was good, I improved a lot. Very clean.”
“Good start, we try our best to maximise the performance. It’s going to be fun tomorrow.”
TOP-10 IN QUALIFYING
Saturday 18 July 2026 16:14 , Kieran Jackson1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
3. Lando Norris (McLaren)*
4. George Russell (Mercedes)
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
6. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
7. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
8. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls)
9. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi)
10. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull)**
*Norris has a 10-place grid penalty and will start in 12th
**Hadjar will start at the back of the grid
Kimi Antonelli on pole position
Saturday 18 July 2026 16:11 , Kieran JacksonVerstappen had pole for a few seconds - until Antonelli overtook him by three-tenths!
Lando Norris has to settle for third in the end having aborted his second lap, with George Russell in fourth.
5-10: Leclerc, Hamilton, Piastri, Lindblad, Bortoleto, Hadjar
“Let’s go man,” says Antonelli.
Out now
Saturday 18 July 2026 16:08 , Kieran JacksonWarm-up laps done, here we go!
Q3 back undeway
Saturday 18 July 2026 16:04 , Kieran JacksonGravel cleared, we’re back underway.
When will they head out for lap No 2?
RED FLAG
Saturday 18 July 2026 15:58 , Kieran JacksonBit odd. No obvious incident on track.
Maybe gravel on track from Piastri’s brief run-in?
Still, session stopped with 6:06 left.
Norris on provisional pole
Saturday 18 July 2026 15:56 , Kieran JacksonWow! Where has that come from?
Lando Norris on provisional P1 (though he does have a 10-place grid penalty), with Antonelli 0.039 secs off in second and Leclerc in third - also within a tenth.
4-10: Verstappen, Hamilton, Russell, Piastri, Lindblad, Bortoleto, Hadjar
They will go again though...
Q3 underway
Saturday 18 July 2026 15:53 , Kieran JacksonHere we go then - can anyone stop Antonelli?
10 drivers involved: Antonelli, Russell, Verstappen, Hadjar, Norris, Piastri, Hamilton, Leclerc, Lindblad, Bortoleto
Out in Q2
Saturday 18 July 2026 15:45 , Kieran Jackson11. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
12. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
13. Franco Colapinto (Alpine0
14. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi)
15. Carlos Sainz (Williams)
16. Ollie Bearman (Haas)
Lawson out
Saturday 18 July 2026 15:44 , Kieran JacksonIt’s not to be for Liam Lawson - but his RB teammate Arvid Lindblad is through!
Nico Hulkenberg has stopped out on track, too... start of Q3 will be delayed.
Bottom-six (11-16) and out in Q2: Lawson, Gasly, Colapinto, Hulkenberg, Sainz, Bearman
Antonelli quickest by 0.255 secs in that session - can anyone stop him for pole in Q3?
Antonelli quickest so far in Q2
Saturday 18 July 2026 15:36 , Kieran JacksonAntonelli two-tenths quicker than Leclerc in second.
At the bottom, no major shocks - can Liam Lawson find a route out?
11-16: Lawson, Gasly, Hulkenberg, Colapinto, Sainz, Bearman
4:00 to go in Q2...
Q2 underway
Saturday 18 July 2026 15:32 , Kieran Jackson15 minutes this time - who will make the top-10 shootout?
Out in Q1
Saturday 18 July 2026 15:32 , Kieran Jackson17) Alex Albon (Williams)
18) Esteban Ocon (Haas)
19) Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac)
20) Sergio Perez (Cadillac)
21) Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
22) Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
Alex Albon out in Q1
Saturday 18 July 2026 15:19 , Kieran JacksonA blow for the Williams driver, who misses out by 0.007 secs!
Bottom-six and out in Q1 (17-22): Albon, Ocon, Bottas, Perez, Alonso, Stroll
Usual procedure for Aston Martin ansd Cadillac.
Top-3: Norris, Verstappen, Hadjar
Verstappen top early on
Saturday 18 July 2026 15:13 , Kieran JacksonThey’ve taken their time to leave the pit-lane but they’re all out there now, with 10 minutes left in Q1.
Verstappen quickest early on with Arvid Lindblad just two-tenths behind in second.
Qualifying underway
Saturday 18 July 2026 15:01 , Kieran JacksonQ1 is a go then at Spa-Francorchamps - 18 minutes where we will lose the slowest six drivers from the rest of qualifying.
And - most unusually in the Ardennes forest - it is bright sunshine!
Qualifying in Belgium
Saturday 18 July 2026 14:55 , Kieran JacksonSo, who you got today?
Championship leader Kimi Antonelli is the favourite - and with good reason - but can George Russell find some much-needed pace?
Ferrari look the next best bet and you can never rule out Max Verstappen!
Hamilton UPDATE
Saturday 18 July 2026 14:48 , Kieran JacksonGood news, Lewis fans.
Ferrari’s car is all fixed and ready for qualifying after that crash in FP3 - well done to the Scuderia pit-crew.
Odds for qualifying
Saturday 18 July 2026 14:40 , Kieran JacksonUnsurprisingly, Kimi Antonelli leads the way.
- Kimi Antonelli - 4/9
- Max Verstappen - 9/2
- George Russell - 9/1
- Lando Norris - 10/1
- Lewis Hamilton - 16/1
- Charles Leclerc - 18/1
- Oscar Piastri - 25/1
Max Verstappen after Friday practice:
Saturday 18 July 2026 14:33 , Kieran Jackson"It has been all right for me, didn't have big problems, the car has been in quite a good window. You see the real gap but it is nothing shocking, it is expected.
"It is just a bit of a tough track with the energy management, seems like we're a bit slow on the straight compared to some of our competitors, but balance-wise it was OK."
Verstappen did finish top in FP1...
Lando Norris after Friday practice:
Saturday 18 July 2026 14:08 , Kieran Jackson"P1 not great. P2 a little bit happier, I am still not very happy with the car, it is still very difficult to drive but we seemed a bit closer, but we are always pretty close on Friday in practice, I think we just show more pace than our competitors.
“We shouldn't expect anything differently from normal."
Lewis Hamilton after Friday practice:
Saturday 18 July 2026 14:00 , Kieran Jackson"Spa is still amazing to drive," said the 41-year-old. "Through corners is great, it's just on the straights the engine dies. I don't know what they're going to do to fix that in the future - the engine should just keep pulling.
"We are pretty much there in the [deployment] window, I don't think we're down on the straights, it's just the middle sector is looking a little slow for us but we will hopefully make a step overnight.
"It feels a little downforce-related. The balance is good in general but you'd have more load on the car if you could. But then you need the speed on the straights. We will do a deep dive to figure out how we can figure out how to pick up the middle sector and not lose."
Kimi Antonelli after going quickest in Friday practice:
Saturday 18 July 2026 13:49 , Kieran Jackson“Was a massive turnaround with the car, because P1 we struggled a lot.
"It was a good change but of course a lot of work to do because Red Bull is quick, McLaren was up there. Long run felt very strong as well."
Wolff's reaction to Antonelli in FP3
Saturday 18 July 2026 13:38 , Kieran JacksonWe think Toto liked Kimi's lap #F1 #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/Qkj47h5laZ
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 18, 2026
Constructor standings ahead of Spa
Saturday 18 July 2026 13:30 , Kieran Jackson1. Mercedes - 333 points
2. Ferrari - 255 points
3. McLaren - 179 points
4. Red Bull - 128 points
5. Alpine - 60 points
6. Racing Bulls - 59 points
7. Haas - 21 points
8. Williams - 11 points
9. Audi - 6 points
10. Aston Martin - 1 point
11. Cadillac - 0 points
More on Hamilton's crash
Saturday 18 July 2026 13:20 , Kieran JacksonLewis Hamilton will face a race against time to take part in qualifying for tomorrow’s Belgian Grand Prix after he crashed out of final practice.
In the final seconds on the concluding session at Spa-Francorchamps, Hamilton lost control of his Ferrari on the exit of Fagnes, racing through the gravel with the rear of his car thudding into the barrier.
“I have destroyed the car, mate,” said Hamilton as he came to an abrupt stop in the middle of the track.
Lewis Hamilton leaves Ferrari with major repair job after crash at Belgian GP
Top-10 in FP3
Saturday 18 July 2026 13:12 , Kieran Jackson1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) - 1:45.990
2. Lando Norris (McLaren)
3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
4. George Russell (Mercedes)
5. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
6. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
7. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
8. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi)
9. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi)
10. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull)
Top-10 - driver standings:
Saturday 18 July 2026 12:58 , Kieran JacksonAntonelli’s lead is 25 points.
1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) - 179 points
2. George Russell (Mercedes) - 154 points
3. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) - 147 points
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 108 points
5. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 97 points
6. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 82 points
7. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 76 points
8. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) - 52 points
9. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) - 42 points
10. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) - 39 points
Lewis Hamilton crashes at end of practice
Saturday 18 July 2026 12:50 , Kieran JacksonPushing and pushing, Hamilton smashed into the tyre barrier in the middle sector of a lap at Spa-Francorchamps.
It’s a big two hours ahead for the Ferrari mechanics as they look to get the car ready for qualifying now.
Hamilton: "I've destroyed the car mate, sorry.”
Hamilton finds the barriers 💥 Here's what happened 👇#F1 #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/FeNgjTo1Js
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 18, 2026
What time is qualifying?
Saturday 18 July 2026 12:44 , Kieran JacksonQualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix starts at 3pm (BST).
Kimi Antonelli is the favourite.
F1 Belgian GP 2026
Saturday 18 July 2026 12:42 , Kieran JacksonFormula 1 returns to the famous Spa-Francorchamps circuit for the Belgian Grand Prix and round 10 of the 2026 season.
Kimi Antonelli endured a frustrating race last time out at Silverstone, finishing outside the points, but he still has a healthy lead of 25 points to Mercedes teammate George Russell in the championship standings.
Charles Leclerc secured his first win of the season for Ferrari at the British GP, ahead of Russell in seecond and Lewis Hamilton in third. Hamilton trails Russell by just seven points in the championship leaderboard as he eyes a record-breaking eighth world championship.
Lando Norris finished just off the podium in Silverstone and missed out on a win in Belgium last year to McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri.
