2026 Belgian Grand Prix: Verstappen credits Hadjar

Max Verstappen said Isack Hadjar’s tow helped him qualify second for the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix, while Red Bull reverted to a conventional rear wing at Spa.

Kimi Antonelli took pole for the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix by 0.317s from Max Verstappen, as reported by Autosport and Motorsport.com. Those outlets, along with RaceFans, also reported that Verstappen said Isack Hadjar’s slipstream was a major factor in his front-row qualifying result. Verstappen arrived at Spa seventh in the drivers’ championship on 91 points, with Hadjar eighth on 60.

Red Bull also changed its rear-wing specification for Spa. BBC Sport reported that the team reverted to a conventional rear wing for the Belgian Grand Prix after Verstappen’s high-speed crashes in the previous two races, while Autosport reported that Red Bull had dropped its newer rotating-wing concept for the weekend. BBC Sport separately reported Verstappen’s description of the rear-wing failure as "super-dangerous".

The qualifying result put Verstappen, a 71-time Grand Prix winner with 242 Formula 1 starts, on the front row at Spa. Hadjar, who has one podium from 33 F1 entries, is set to start from the back of the grid after playing a part in Red Bull’s qualifying approach, according to the reports.