Kimi Antonelli Wins Spanish Grand Prix After Lando Norris Misfortune

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli won the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid, capitalizing on a virtual safety car strategy that dropped pole-sitter Lando Norris to third place. Max Verstappen finished second in an inaugural event marked by intense track battles and heavy tire degradation.

Formula 1’s return to the Spanish capital delivered an unpredictable afternoon of motorsport as Kimi Antonelli secured his eighth victory of the 2026 season. The young Mercedes driver navigated a chaotic street circuit layout at the newly built Madring, inheriting control of the race after a virtual safety car deployment reshuffled the leading order and disrupted a dominant early run by McLaren. Qualifying Surprises and Lando Norris’s Record-Setting Lap

Kimi Antonelli clinches victory over Max Verstappen and Lando

The weekend’s narrative initially pointed away from a McLaren victory. Lando Norris claimed pole position in a stunning Saturday session, despite struggling with pace and gearbox issues in practice. Posting a lap time of 1:31.824, Norris secured his 19th career pole by a razor-thin margin of 0.011 seconds ahead of Antonelli. The reigning Formula 1 Champion never looked in contention for pole throughout the weekend as McLaren lacked pace and gearbox issues marred the #1 McLaren. But Norris seemed to have other plans as he had only Verstappen behind him in the final runs of Q3 and he went fastest beating the time earlier set by Antonelli. The British driver was delighted by his achievement, letting out a yelp of delight in the cockpit, almost as if disbelieving his achievement on the perilous new track on the outskirts of Madrid. I am shocked and a little bit surprised to be here now, but my God, it was probably one of the best laps I have done in my career. Lando Norris, reigning Formula 1 Champion

Spanish Grand Prix Qualifying: Lando Norris, out of the blue steals it from Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen — Photo: grandprix247.com

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Max Verstappen will start from third place for the inaugural event at the Madring, a spot ahead of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, who at one stage looked set to land his first pole in Ferrari colours. Up next was Lewis Hamilton, fourth fastest and definitely not happy about it as he was on provisional pole when he first round of laps in Q3 was concluded. George Russell, the nearest title challenger to Antonelli, will start a disappointing sixth. Virtual Safety Car Strategy Shifts the Race Leadership

Norris snatches Spanish Grand Prix pole from Antonelli

When the race got underway, Norris streaked clear at the start of the race. The opening laps saw plenty of clashes up and down the field, with Norris narrowly holding onto the lead from pole position as Antonelli cut two corners during his concerted efforts to pass the Briton. The decisive turning point arrived when the VSC was triggered by Lance Stroll’s retirement. Norris paid the price for being so dominant in the early stages in that he was already past the pit lane when the VSC was called, while Antonelli was far enough behind that he could come in. Lando Norris chose to come in at Spanish Grand Prix despite team instruction. After a seven-second pit stop, Norris dropped to fifth place. Antonelli ultimately didn’t need to overtake him on track thanks to a Virtual Safety Car, which played perfectly into Mercedes’ hands but ruined Norris’ chances for victory. A tale of contrasting pit stops unfolded as the Italian gained the net race lead while a slow change dropped Norris behind both Antonelli and Verstappen. There was nothing I could do. Congrats to Kimi and Max, they drove a good race today, Norris said. Just luck not on our side. Rough race, one that just got away from us. I thought we deserved it today.

Kimi Antonelli Wins Spanish Grand Prix After Lando Norris Misfortune — Photo: Formula 1

😍 Spanish Grand Prix 2026 🇪🇸 | Kimi Antonelli Wins Again #f1 #formula1 #f1gp #spain #spanishgp

Despite expressing worries with his steering, the 20-year-old inherited control of the race once Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who didn’t box during the VSC, gave up on his hopes for a Safety Car and finally peeled into the pits after 48 laps. He was later promoted to third after Charles Leclerc and George Russell came in, but he couldn’t pass Max Verstappen for P2. In his parc ferme interview, Antonelli admitted that Norris deserved to win, and Verstappen acknowledged that the McLaren driver had been unlucky. Speaking over the radio on the cooldown lap, Norris said: Not a lot we could do. Load of s—. Take it on the chin.

Lando Norris, out of the blue steals it from

Championship Standings and Retirement Toll at the Madring

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Adding an eighth win to his season tally, Antonelli has extended his lead to 81 points in the Drivers’ Championship as his team mate George Russell settled for P5. Kimi Antonelli took advantage of Lando Norris’ mishaps to win the Spanish Grand Prix in Formula 1’s return to Madrid on Sunday, increasing his lead in the drivers’ standings. Norris raised hope of defending his world crown with successive wins in Hungary and then the Netherlands, but a fourth place last time out in Monza leaves him 96 points adrift of Antonelli in the standings. Overhauling the 20-year-old Italian will be a tough job over the final 10 rounds of the season. But his McLaren team, helped by upgrades and gathering momentum, are on the rise.