# How Antonelli found half a second to thwart Verstappen in Belgian GP qualifying

> **Newsylist Open Intelligence Dossier** · First detected: 2026-07-18 23:29 UTC · Category: Sports · Sources: 6 · Current Velocity: 3.67

## Executive Summary
Mercedes driver Antonelli secures pole position at the Belgian GP by outpacing Max Verstappen.

## Intelligence Brief
Mercedes' Antonelli has claimed pole position for the Belgian GP. He managed to thwart Max Verstappen by finding a half-second advantage during the qualifying session.


Coverage from Formula 1, The Guardian, and Autosport emphasizes Antonelli's charge to the top spot. Meanwhile, Yahoo Sports and Motorsport.com report that Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari felt different following a crash during practice.


Attention now turns to the race results and how the qualifying performance translates to the grid, as The Race analyzes the overall winners and losers of the session.

## Verified Facts & Key Claims
### Who won pole position at the Belgian GP?
Mercedes driver Antonelli secured pole position.

### How much faster was Antonelli than Verstappen?
According to Autosport, Antonelli found half a second to outpace Verstappen.

### What happened to Lewis Hamilton's car?
Hamilton's Ferrari did not feel the same after he crashed during a practice session.

## Key People, Organizations & Locations
Winners, Antonelli, Verstappen, Belgian GP, How Antonelli, F1 Belgian GP, Belgian GP Qualifying, Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari

## Multi-Source Evidence Table
| Source Outlet | Headline | Published (UTC) | Verification URL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yahoo Sports | Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari "didn't feel the same" after Belgian GP practice crash | 2026-07-18 19:27 | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiiwFBVV95cUxPeHlyOFFlNi11Qk9HVmJwMGFDNWR0VHYteTAtTnNtM1l5dXdMSDRGUS1hS0dOS2JZTms0ckhROVRSc0otYWdDbWFwQkVPWWtUb09rbmpUclBDVFdleHoxWEEzN0ZjaVMzdEJNa2xqbHlrcklLbEtxcnVEZmhPRFdSQWF3blVrV3h2TDVv?oc=5) |
| Motorsport.com | Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari "didn't feel the same" after Belgian GP practice crash | 2026-07-18 19:27 | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMivAFBVV95cUxQLWZFeHlBak41WGdua1BZd3lVeFkwUXQxMXhaX3ZxZENZVDV5TWJydHdTN0c1OF9qUVo2dm1aQjVCREk1ZTlZRkk5MGdySC1BLTZqMXhpZmRwZ2ZHTlhCTnctcDhhM2htaTVHVWd0d3p4V0l5OWx0dkxjMnh4eTVXZFE3dlB3TmRrSWgxbVJ0dGRpdEhKZEpGU3NDMjhQcnRCR3ZveE9PVm50ZEZXS3luNElGaUZFbmc0aDZyXw?oc=5) |
| The Race | Winners and losers from F1 qualifying at Belgian GP | 2026-07-18 19:27 | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiiwFBVV95cUxNVlVNekxGREhodjJLVndEX0swQ0hlTlV6cXZWUzJWWUhTSThGLUw2SEo5TzhfNHY5amxLU1E4ZXVhSHNwS05oNjcwSmRQVzVGWXFseWo5dWlGajRMYmZRQmJuNWFVZWVCVjZXeTJHWTZKdzlDZFZMaE9RbUpGU1Z4aU4yTnBhZHM4ektr?oc=5) |
| The Guardian | Mercedes’ Antonelli outpaces Verstappen to grab F1 Belgian GP pole | 2026-07-18 19:27 | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixwFBVV95cUxQNGtQdXZINlVnb1RvdE5NNi14c3FCR2ZiTTVpWXROWmQ2eG1FXzA0UnBvRWZmMU0ySTJuNG1hYVJTYkI4UmpHelVwUTVkaXNvQ0ptWm9GQWxPTm1KYXRhcF82S3d6RkRqc1NQY0lZa3k1MjJyMUhWNVYzdnZkSTdKampCRDJpR3ZqMV9BX2t6NWUwSzVDNUFiX2FOdUN6eE1fd3Rod2xPV0dLMTNaYy1wcVVSUURhOV9DVUZhY1UxXzh3NFo3Z3Iw?oc=5) |
| Formula 1 | Antonelli charges to pole position in Belgian GP Qualifying | 2026-07-18 19:27 | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi0wFBVV95cUxQbFFxUldLWmxfM2VsQ0tTc1hRTlpuWjI0THZMSGswb0tqSEpPem1GN2N5N09xcFhjb3dDNFduOTNnenE0bWpyYWg0dkQtaGlYWUljWUY5SDc1VTNwODZMRkhYWGhQUEtmdXg2OFZyTHY2OTVXTGl0Y3RvcUU0cVp1NERhU1laUWF6MkFrcW5tNnh0RS1XNGFNU1RGYk91SS02MldwLUZ0UU5IMFR4OUpwR3ZtaDE4aG1lc0xsT2JiTzhIYzBzS1dkalRaQVRhRnpwcmNB?oc=5) |
| Autosport | How Antonelli found half a second to thwart Verstappen in Belgian GP qualifying | 2026-07-18 19:27 | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwAFBVV95cUxNNmNhTGlyV0hUaDVrRFBJZHRWWmE2aEtwcWpZNi1FR0RNQklkWWZtb21BOElQcmdfanJhYXhRZnNYOEdwN3RVUzFNVFI1ZmVYSHd6eGJxNFVKa2FZaEZYVlU0Wl9hTzNWblE4RTZHODZPNkhpTk1uZkVkMWp2VThONWlXMGpOSU1oOUZMUy1QdDBSd3ptRU1fTHZ5aTh3WEFqb2s0UWV0eDhIV2ZRQ0NqSG40QUJxSW1VMmYzM0hheGg?oc=5) |

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