Kimi Antonelli smashed the opposition in qualifying to take pole position for Formula 1's Belgian Grand Prix at Spa.

Antonelli was the clear pole favourite, having topped FP2 and FP3, but it was the McLaren of Lando Norris that led the way after the first runs in Q3.

Norris wouldn't have taken pole position had he remained fastest because he's taking a 10-place grid penalty for Sunday's race for taking his fourth battery of the season.

But Antonelli got it done on the road anyway with an impressive 1m44.361s, taking pole position by 0.317s ahead of his closest competitor, Max Verstappen.

Verstappen benefitted from a tow from his Red Bull team-mate Isack Hadjar, who sacrificed his Q3 as he has a 30-place grid penalty for multiple engine component changes.

Norris qualified third as he made a mistake at the Turn 13 left-hander and had to abandon his final run (which wouldn't have beaten Antonelli's lap anyway), but he'll start 13th with his penalty.

That means George Russell should start third in the second Mercedes, although he was 0.508s slower than Antonelli.

Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were fifth and sixth in qualifying ahead of Oscar Piastri's McLaren and Arvid Lindblad, who led the midfield for Racing Bulls in eighth.

Audi's Gabriel Bortoleto was ninth ahead of Hadjar and Liam Lawson, who was the quickest driver knocked out in Q2.

The Alpines of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto qualified behind him in 12th and 13th.

Nico Hulkenberg couldn't match Bortoleto's pace in Q2 in 14th and stopped on track on his way back to the pits because of a suspected hydraulic problem aboard his Audi.

Carlos Sainz was 15th for Williams, just 0.002s ahead of Ollie Bearman's Haas.

Albon and Ocon out in Q1 with usual suspects

Bearman pipped the Williams of Alex Albon by just 0.007s for the final place in Q2, marking Albon's sixth Q1 elimination in 10 weekends.

"You’ve been pretty strong all weekend; we just need to give you a better car," James Vowles told Albon over the team radio.

Esteban Ocon was almost seven tenths slower than Bearman in 18th, and only 0.022s faster than Valtteri Bottas's Cadillac.

Bottas's team-mate Sergio Perez was 20th, two seconds clear of Aston Martin drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, who were split by 0.175s.

Stroll has a 10-place grid penalty but is set to start 20th - ahead of Alonso, who has a 20-place grid penalty, and Hadjar, who has a 30-place grid penalty.