Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton will start the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix from the second row of the grid, following a challenging qualifying session at Spa-Francorchamps. Leclerc secured fifth place, which converts to fourth on the grid due to a penalty for Lando Norris. Hamilton qualified sixth, moving up to fifth for Sunday’s race.
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli claimed pole position with a lap time of 1:44.361, outpacing Max Verstappen of Red Bull by 0.317 seconds. Norris initially qualified third for McLaren, but his 10-place grid penalty for power unit component changes will be applied.
Hamilton’s qualifying performance followed a significant incident in Free Practice 3 earlier on Saturday. The seven-time world champion crashed his SF-26 at the Fagnes chicane, causing substantial damage to the rear of the car.
The Ferrari mechanics undertook extensive repairs, including changes to the suspension, rear wing, floor, and a precautionary gearbox replacement, to prepare the car for qualifying. Hamilton noted that the car felt different after the repairs compared to its performance in FP3.
Leclerc’s final qualifying lap was impacted by a yellow flag incident near the pit entry. The Monegasque driver lifted off, losing crucial lap time, which he stated was ‘a lot more in line with what we expected’ for the session.
Ferrari’s weekend began with promising pace during Friday’s Free Practice 1, where Verstappen led, with Hamilton second and Leclerc third. Hamilton was 0.145 seconds behind Verstappen’s benchmark of 1:47.070.
However, the Scuderia’s performance in Free Practice 2 saw a shift in the competitive order. Antonelli topped the session with a 1:45.944, while Hamilton finished fourth, 0.747 seconds adrift. Leclerc dropped to 11th after his fastest lap was deleted for exceeding track limits.
Hamilton acknowledged that Ferrari had identified a weakness in the middle sector of the Spa circuit. He stated the team would focus overnight on understanding and improving performance in that area.
Leclerc echoed his teammate’s assessment, indicating that Ferrari still had room to unlock more performance. He also conceded that Mercedes held a ‘clear advantage’ at Spa, particularly in terms of ‘raw power.’
The competitive landscape at Spa-Francorchamps appears tight, with Hamilton observing strong pace from Red Bull, Mercedes, and McLaren throughout the practice sessions.
In an unrelated development on Friday, Ferrari received a €10,000 fine from the FIA stewards. The penalty was issued for a breach of sporting regulations concerning the timely return of a set of tyres to Pirelli after Free Practice 1.
Despite the challenges, both Ferrari drivers expressed optimism for the race. Leclerc, who secured victory at the previous British Grand Prix, believes a podium finish is possible.
