Andrea Kimi Antonelli edged Lando Norris out in an exciting inaugural race on the Madring by profitable the 2026 Components 1 Spanish Grand Prix.
Antonelli made it seven wins in 2026 as a perfectly-timed VSC handed him the race lead over pole-sitter Lando Norris.
Max Verstappen adopted the Italian residence in second. Norris took third on the chequered flag, after an impressed second-half to the Spanish GP noticed him claw his means again onto the rostrum.
How the race unfolded
Because the 5 lights went out for the first-ever Spanish GP on the Circuito de Madring, pole-sitter Lando Norris received a greater launch off the road, with Lewis Hamilton becoming a member of the celebration. Andrea Kimi Antonelli went large into the primary chicane however gave the place again instantly to the McLaren driver.
Antonelli went large on the Flip 5 chicane, once more, two monitor limits warnings already amassed for the championship chief.
Meawhile, Norris’ team-mate Oscar Piastri fell right down to eleventh after taking harm within the Lap 1 fiasco. Max Verstappen, operating second, was below the peering eyes of the FIA stewards for chopping Flip 1 whereas evading Hamilton.
Hamilton got here onto the crew radio comms to ask his crew to verify the rear of his SF-26 after what he believes was contact with the limitations.
By Lap 3, Norris had prolonged his lead over the Dutchman to 2 seconds. Verstappen was adopted by Antonelli, Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. On the very subsequent lap, Verstappen was suggested by his pit wall to offer the place again to Hamilton. However with Hamilton behind Antonelli in fourth, the Pink Bull driver must cede a spot to Antonelli as nicely.
And because the 28-year-old complied, he was put below stress by Leclerc. “He would have shunted into me! If I keep on monitor, I’d be out of the race,” fumed Verstappen on his crew radio.
Hamilton was nearly seven seconds off Antonelli. Verstappen was now the meat between a Ferrari sandwich in fourth, adopted by Leclerc in fifth.
George Russell was operating in sixth and Franco Colapinto had already made two locations from his ninth-place grid slot operating in seventh, adopted by Liam Lawson, Arvid Lindbald and a wounded Piastri.
Hamilton grew to become the primary sufferer of the treacherous Madring structure, with a lock up sending him spiralling in the direction of the limitations. With brake points plaguing the seven-time World Champion, he got here into the pits to retire on Lap 7.
In the meantime, Antonelli went large once more at Flip 17, dropping a piece of time to Norris and in addition accumulating one other monitor limits warning.
With gaps stabilising elsewhere, Lawson was everywhere in the again of Colapinto’s A526. The Kiwi driver opting to run lengthy on his first stint with the white-walled Hards getting previous the Argentinian racing driver on Lap 10 into the Flip 5 chicane.
Solely 10 laps in, drivers weren’t afraid to gamble on their pre-planned methods, as Mercedes began plotting an undercut try on Leclerc with Russell.
Race-leader Norris was busy extending his lead, now 6.5 seconds forward of Antonelli. The Woking-based crew had been fast to tell the Briton that the Italian’s tyres had been in a worse situation than his.
That mentioned, by Lap 14, Antonelli had discovered a second again on the McLaren driver. Driving by way of the graining section, the Italian hit a fortunate patch with the AMR26 of Lance Stroll hitting the limitations at Flip 20. The VSC got here out simply as Norris went previous the pit entry, and Antonelli dove into the pits for a set of Onerous tyres. The Mercedes driver got here out in third.
It was a double whammy for Norris as simply as he approached the pit entry once more, the VSC got here to an finish. Antonelli flew previous Norris and into the web lead as not solely the VSC timing however a gradual cease by McLaren nullified all the great work he had accomplished on his first stint.
The Briton filtered out in fifth, behind Russell, Verstappen and Antonelli. Leclerc, who was but to pit, assumed the race lead on Lap 17.
Graining on the Pirelli rubber was an actual concern for the groups and drivers. With monitor temperature within the mid-50 levels, Antonelli was suggested to maintain on high of his tyre administration. “These [Hard] tyres aren’t bulletproof,” Peter Bonnington instructed the 20-year-old over crew radio.
House hero Carlos Sainz was slapped with a five-second time penalty for an incident together with his compatriot Fernando Alonso. In the meantime, regardless of the tyre offset, Antonelli slotted behind Leclerc. The Monegasque was anticipated to increase his stint and covert his race right into a one-stopper.
Norris, by Lap 22, was 15 seconds off Antonelli, in fifth. With the highest 5 now secure, Lindblad was in a battle with Colapinto for the ultimate factors place – one second off the Alpine driver.
Antonelli misplaced half-a-second to Leclerc, on Lap 23, coming onto his crew radio to complain a few “bizarre” phenomenon on his steering wheel.
Halfway by way of the 57-lap race Leclerc led the Spanish GP adopted by Antonelli, Verstappen, Russell and Norris.
Lawson led the midfield cost, nearly 17 seconds off the highest 5, chased by Piastri, Gasly, Bortoleto and Colapinto.
Norris’ cost fizzles out as Antonelli comes out victorious on the Madring
Norris started his cost in the direction of Antonelli however had the Italian’s team-mate in his option to dispatch first. That wasn’t required as Russell dove into the pits on Lap 29, filtering out in sixth.
In the meantime, Norris’ team-mate Piastri was struggling to navigate the Madring together with his damaged front-wing. The Australian reasoning together with his pit wall to alter the entrance wing when he got here into the pits for his cease.
With Russell now within the pits, when to pit Leclerc was a vital resolution to be made on the Ferrari pit wall. However the Maranello-based crew had been relying on a Security Automobile, or not less than one other VSC to drag the set off.
By Lap 33, Norris was now solely simply over 10 seconds off Antonelli with solely the Pink Bull of Verstappen between him and the Mercedes. On the very subsequent lap, the McLaren driver was the quickest man on monitor.
Russell was everywhere in the gearbox of Lawson on Lap 35. The Kiwi driver was anticipated to carry up the Briton for so long as he may to assist Verstappen, however the Pink Bull driver went large popping out of the Flip 5 chicane, below stress from the Mercedes, and Russell slipped previous into fifth.
This meant that, now, from P6 onwards, not one of the drivers had pitted but, going 35 laps throughout the sweltering tarmac of the Madring on a single set of tyres.
Lawson’s tyres, nevertheless, had been in worse form than his rivals as Piastri now received into his overtake zone. In the meantime, by Lap 38, Norris had closed his hole to Verstappen to three-a-half-seconds. Antonelli was an extra 5 seconds up the highway.
Leclerc’s pit wall predicted a fourth-placed end on the chequered flag below regular situations. The Monegasque now wanted a Security Automobile or VSC desperately if he wished to go away Madrid together with his fifty fifth Ferrari F1 podium.
By Lap 41, Norris was inside putting distance of Verstappen. On Lap 43, Norris went deep into Flip 17 however nonetheless saved his MCL40 pinned to Verstappen’s gearbox. Web race chief, Antonelli was solely 4 seconds up the highway now.
In the meantime, Piastri tried an undercut on Lawson. However a gradual cease allowed Lawson to maximise his in lap. The Pink Bull driver dove into the pits and saved monitor place forward of the Australian.
It was all heating up forward of Piastri and Colapinto tried a transfer on Gabriel Bortoleto into the Flip 5 chicane. Colapinto missed, and Piastri latched onto his gearbox as an alternative however with no well past.
With solely 10 laps to go, Antonelli had deserted any tyre saving and picked up his tempo. In the meantime, Norris was nonetheless unable to discover a well past an exceptionally large RB22 of Verstappen.
Visitors, nevertheless, made issues tough for the championship chief. Verstappen now solely a second behind the Italian with Norris proper on the Dutchman’s heels.
Leclerc lastly boxed on Lap 49, releasing Antonelli into clear air. The Monegasque filtering out of the pits in fourth and forward of Russell.
Antonelli received an awesome run out of the ultimate nook, on Lap 50, getting himself out of the one second barrier. Norris now trailed Verstappen by half-a-second, with the Pink Bull now 1.5s behind the W17 of Antonelli.
By Lap 54, Antonelli had zoomed into the space and now over three seconds away from the charging duo of Verstappen and Norris.
Verstappen sturggled to navigate some cussed visitors, chopping the monitor on the penultimate lap. However he held place forward of the McLaren driver. With no well past, Norris settled for third.
On the chequered flag, Antonelli took his maiden Spanish GP win (and his seventh of the season) – not solely extending his lead within the championship by 81 factors but additionally equalling his team-mate for profession F1 race wins.
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