F1 driver braced for pit-lane start in further Belgian GP blow

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli has revealed he’s set to start tomorrow’s Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix from the pit lane following a torrid qualifying session.

The Mercedes driver recorded the 18th fastest time of the session to become one of the five drivers eliminated from the session at the first hurdle.

Kimi Antonelli down on confidence through F1’s European leg

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

It marks a continuation of a rough run of results for the highly-rated Italian, who spun during Sprint Qualifying on Friday, leaving him 20th on the grid.

The lowly grid spot coupled with the threat of rain in the air for tomorrow’s race, Antonelli admitted that Mercedes will pull his car off the grid so they’re able to make changes to it ahead of the race start.

“We will change the car, so we’ll start from the pit lane,” he told media including PlanetF1.com after qualifying. “Hopefully that will give us an advantage.”

His recent run of races have been confidence-sapping. Following on the heels of a maiden F1 podium in Canada, he retired in both the Austrian and British grands prix.

A mistake under brakes on the opening lap curtailed his race at the Red Bull Ring before he was clattered into during he British Grand Prix by an unsighted Isack Hadjar.

Prior to Canada, a power unit issue forced him out in Spain while a mistake in qualifying in Monaco saw him tag the wall and damage the front-left corner of his Mercedes.

In May, reliability gremlins forced him out of his first home event at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

“Since the European season, I’ve been struggling to find confidence with the car, and I felt like I’ve gone I’ve done a backward step,” Antonelli confessed.

“It’s a difficult moment for me, because I feel like I have no confidence on pushing. And yesterday, I tried to push a bit too much, and then I spun.

“And then it kind of hurts the confidence even more. But it’s a difficult period.

“I think we know the limitation we have since quite a lot. But with the way I’m driving, I’m just increasing the problem.”

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Changes made to the car following the Sprint went some way to addressing at least part of that issue.

However, with no practice following the Sprint before being thrown into qualifying, it proved too great an ask of the teenager.

“The car was in a better place, for sure, compared to yesterday,” Antonelli added. “It’s just on my side. I still struggle to get up to speed quickly, just because the confidence has been missing.

“I think there’s a lot of work to do on my side, and I try to find the light out of the tunnel as soon as possible.”

While Antonelli is poised to start the race from the pit lane – potentially an inspired decision if forecast rain does indeed arrive – team-mate George Russell will line up sixth.

Both are currently without contracts as the F1 summer break approaches, though it is expected they will remain with Mercedes for F1 2026 despite rumours linking Max Verstappen to the team.

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