# Antonelli beats Verstappen to pole for Belgian Grand Prix

Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli outpaced Red Bull's Max Verstappen to claim pole position for the Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix. The qualifying result sets up a competitive race at Spa-Francorchamps, with Antonelli seeking his first career win.

**Importance:** 2/5

## Sources

### Sports
- [BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/articles/cp8xep2w0epo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss) — Sat, 18 Jul 2026 16:07:04 GMT
- [The Guardian Sport](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/jul/18/mercedes-antonelli-outpaces-verstappen-to-grab-f1-belgian-grand-prix-pole-position) — Sat, 18 Jul 2026 15:39:29 GMT
- [The Guardian Sport](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2026/jul/19/formula-one-2026-belgian-grand-prix-live) — Sun, 19 Jul 2026 12:44:26 GMT

### World
- [Al Jazeera](https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2026/7/19/kimi-antonelli-wins-belgian-grand-prix-to-extend-f1-championship-lead?traffic_source=rss) — Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:26:45 +0000