Kimi Antonelli, the 19-year-old Italian driver for Mercedes, secured pole position for the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix after a thrilling qualifying session.In a dramatic finish, Antonelli edged out four-time champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull by 0.317 seconds, marking his sixth pole of the season and extending Mercedes' streak to 10 consecutive poles.The result was significant as it represented the largest margin of victory in the season so far.Antonelli celebrated by dedicating his achievement to his father Marco on his birthday, stating, 'Happy birthday, Dad.

' Verstappen acknowledged the support from teammate Isack Hadjar, who provided a slip-streaming 'tow' during qualifying, helping him secure a front-row start despite facing penalties for Sunday's race.Defending champion Lando Norris finished third but will start 10 positions lower due to an engine penalty.

The race promises to be competitive with Verstappen and Antonelli starting side by side, setting the stage for an intense battle in Spa-Francorchamps.