Clipping

Kimi Antonelli claims a superb pole at a Spa-Francorchamps transformed by the 2026 power unit rules, edging out Verstappen and Russell as the grid grapples with brutal energy clipping through Kemmel and the run to Eau Rouge, while a yellow-flag mix-up in the pit lane briefly derails Hadjar and Leclerc.

Mercedes still lock out the front row in Montreal, but the gap to the field is shrinking. Russell delivers a championship-level pole after a messy Q3, Antonelli keeps closing in, McLaren suddenly becomes dangerous, Ferrari split between perfection and chaos, and Verstappen continues to fight a Red Bull that loses speed as qualifying progresses.

Mercedes arrive in Montreal with a major upgrade package and immediately look extremely strong on a circuit that suits the W17. Russell and Antonelli trade blows in telemetry, Ferrari once again struggle to extract the soft tyre, and the reduced clipping levels make this one of the most interesting weekends of the season so far.