It’s an extremely delicate moment for Kimi Antonelli, who, in his rookie Formula 1season, is facing what may be his first real moment of crisis.

The Italian driver, still without a confirmed seat for 2026, was once again eliminated in Q1 today after already delivering a disappointing performance yesterday.  

Kimi had also spun during the sprint qualifying session and failed to shine in the sprint race as well, hindered by the DRS train that made overtaking extremely difficult.

Arriving for interviews after his Q1 elimination, Antonelli wiped away tear-filled eyes before answering questions from the media.

Valtteri Bottas is set to join Cadillac as their first confirmed driver for 2026, GPBlog revealed today.

The expectation is that the signatures will soon be put under the agreement, after which the partnership will officially be announced.

With Bottas, Cadillac gets a chunk of experience for the adventure in Formula 1. The 35-year-old Finn is a former vice-champion, currently the third driver for Mercedes. He is known for his excellent technical knowledge, making him invaluable for a team that is preparing for entry into F1 in the coming months.

The Belgian GP qualifying once again confirmed—if there were any doubts—the dominance of the two McLarens, with Lando Norris delivering the perfect lap to edge out teammate Oscar Piastri by less than a tenth.

Max Verstappen, on the other hand, was not in the fight for pole position. Unlike yesterday, he couldn’t slot in between the two McLarens and even ended up behind Charles Leclerc in fourth.

Speaking with GPBlog, among other media, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella identified a factor that, in his view, ruled Verstappen out of contention compared to yesterday.