Teen star claims pole again, Piastri to start 7th in Belgian GP

Nineteen-year-old Italian driver Kimi Antonelli claimed pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix, demonstrating exceptional pace that even Red Bull's strategic efforts couldn't overcome. Max Verstappen, aided by a slipstream from teammate Isack Hadjar, initially set the fastest time. However, Antonelli's Mercedes found another level, beating Verstappen by 0.317 seconds.

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Let's go, man, let's go. Happy birthday Dad.

Antonelli dedicated his pole to his father and expressed hope of maintaining the lead into the challenging first lap. Verstappen conceded that his car lacks the race pace to challenge Mercedes, stating, "The gap in qualifying even with a massive tow is still three-tenths, so I don't really expect to race [Mercedes] tomorrow." Hadjar's assistance, though crucial for Verstappen's qualifying lap, did not alter his starting position due to a penalty.

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He did amazing. I initially thought 'Oh my god, it's too close.' Actually, it worked out well to the last corner. It was close but I trusted him.

The qualifying session saw mixed fortunes for other contenders. Lando Norris qualified third but will start 10 places lower due to a penalty. Oscar Piastri, Norris's Australian teammate, will start seventh. George Russell, Antonelli's teammate, is set to move to third on the grid but continues to struggle to match Antonelli's performance, describing the challenge as "battling with one hand behind your back."

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The gap in qualifying even with a massive tow is still three-tenths, so I don't really expect to race [Mercedes] tomorrow.

Ferrari faced a disappointing day, with Charles Leclerc qualifying fifth and Lewis Hamilton sixth after a practice crash required extensive repairs to his car. Despite Russell closing the points gap in the standings, he consistently trails Antonelli, except for a win at the Austrian Grand Prix.

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battling with one hand behind your back