Formula 1 Championship Leader, Kimi Antonelli, led Mercedes to another pole position at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps, followed by Max Verstappen and Lando Norris.
This is Antonelli’s sixth pole position this season, but after his front-left wheel shield failed late in the race last time out at Silverstone, the young driver is looking to convert this pole position to a win more than ever.
On the other side of the Mercedes garage, George Russell qualified fourth behind Verstappen and Norris. As the season continues, it is increasingly looking like the team’s supposed ‘lead driver’ is struggling to perform compared to his younger teammate.

Max Verstappen, starting on the front row beside Antonelli, is also facing a comeback story after he crashed out of the British Grand Prix with only four laps remaining – and running P3. The Red Bull car has significant pace as compared to the start of the season, but it is now the car’s reliability that’s in question.
The biggest shock of the Spa qualifying session is that Gabriel Bortoleto found himself in ninth after Audi has struggled for most of the season. The team brought two targeted upgrades to Spa that have clearly converted to single-lap performance around the track.
KIMI ANTONELLI STORMS TO POLE AT SPA!! 👊#F1 #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/ME1o401KQ5
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 18, 2026
F1 Starting Grid for the Austrian Grand Prix 2026
|
Position |
Driver/ Team |
|---|---|
|
1. |
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. |
Isack Hadjar / Red Bull |
|
10. |
Liam Lawson / Racing Bulls |
|
11. |
Pierre Gasly / Alpine |
|
12. |
Franco Colapinto / Alpine |
|
13. |
Lando Norris / McLaren |
|
14. |
Nico Hulkenberg / Audi |
|
15. |
Carlos Sainz / Williams |
|
16. |
Ollie Bearman / Haas |
|
17. |
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 |
How to watch the Belgian Grand Prix
Date: Sunday, July 19, 2026
Time: 9 a.m. EST / 2 p.m. BST / 3 p.m. local
Watch: F1 TV, Apple TV (US), Sky Sports, Channel 4 (UK)
Location: Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Spa, Belgium
All sessions will ‘go live’ in the F1 TV app at their scheduled time, with pre-session content often streaming 30 minutes before each session.
Watching the Belgian Grand Prix in the United States
The Belgian Grand Prix and all sessions, including the race, will also be shown on Apple TV in the United States. The race will begin at 9:00 a.m. EST / 6:00 a.m. PST.
You can connect your Apple TV account to your F1TV account to watch through F1TV. Fans can also watch the broadcast in Spanish.
Watching the Belgian Grand Prix in the United Kingdom
The Belgian Grand Prix and all sessions, including the race, will also be shown on Sky Sports and Channel 4 in the United Kingdom. Sky Sports also offers additional video content and interviews to Formula 1 fans throughout a race weekend. The race will air in the UK at 2:00 p.m. BST.
Check Sky Sports for broadcast schedule and local listings.
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