F1 LIVE: Antonelli secures victory, as Russell suffers DNF - Follow Belgian GP reaction here!

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Photo: Race Pictures
Live
Updated: 16:41, 19 Jul
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Hello and welcome to GPblog’s live coverage of the Belgian Grand Prix. Stay tuned as we bring you all the action as it unfolds from the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit!
The race weekend in the Ardennes Forest has been nothing short of intriguing, with several teams springing to the top of the timing sheets at the end of each session. Red Bull, particularly with Max Verstappen, appeared to have resolved the niggling issue with its rear wing, and its orthodox wing has so far delivered, with the Dutch driver and teammate Isack Hadjar largely on par with the pace of the front-runners.
McLaren, particularly with Lando Norris, also appeared to have the new specification of its Mercedes engine dialled in, with the reigning world champion setting consistently competitive lap times throughout much of the weekend. The Scuderia Ferrari have also proven to be firmly in the mix, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton within touching distance of the benchmark lap times of the weekend. However, at Spa, one thing that can be said with certainty is that the iconic undulating circuit leaves you with anything but certainty, as one can hardly predict what to expect from the race.
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Kimi Antonelli stormed to pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix - Photo: Race Pictures
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With that said, who are you backing to win the Belgian Grand Prix? Follow us as we take you through the unforgettable 44-lap event at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit.

Antonelli storms to pole position despite Verstappen's tow tactics

While it was a weekend that kicked off with the Mercedes team on the back foot in comparison to its rivals, it was Kimi Antonelli who once again reigned supreme during the first competitive session of the race weekend. The young Italian clocked the quickest time in qualifying to storm to another pole position of the campaign.
The 19-year-old secured his sixth pole position with a lap time of 1:44.361, finishing three-tenths of a second ahead of Verstappen despite the Red Bull Racing driver working with his teammate, Hadjar, to generate a tow. While the tow achieved its intended aim for the Dutch driver, it did little to provide an answer to the blistering pace of the championship leader.
Norris was quick enough for third place, ahead of the other Mercedes of George Russell. The Ferraris of Leclerc and Hamilton locked out the third row respectively, while Oscar Piastri and Arvid Lindblad qualified seventh and eighth. Gabriel Bortoleto and Hadjar rounded out the top 10.
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Fri 11:30 AM
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