Kimi Antonelli Won the First Formula One Race at Madring to Stretch His Championship Lead to Eighty One Points
Lando Norris led from pole but lost out when a virtual safety car came moments after he had passed the pit entry, leaving him third.
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli won the Spanish Grand Prix at the new Madring circuit in Madrid on 13 September 2026, finishing 4.351 seconds ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen in the first Formula One race held at the venue.
McLaren's Lando Norris, who started from pole position, finished third, 5.089 seconds behind. A virtual safety car, triggered when Lance Stroll stopped his Aston Martin at Turn 20, came just after Norris had passed the pit entry. Antonelli and Verstappen changed tyres under the neutralisation, while Norris had to pit under green-flag conditions and a slow stop dropped him to fifth before he recovered to third.
"It's good to win, but it doesn't feel as good because I think Lando today deserved to win," Antonelli said, according to Nation Thailand. It was his eighth victory of the season. Charles Leclerc was fourth for Ferrari ahead of George Russell, Liam Lawson, Franco Colapinto, Oscar Piastri, Arvid Lindblad and Nico Hulkenberg.
Lewis Hamilton retired with brake problems, and Carlos Sainz, Sergio Perez and Stroll also failed to finish. Verstappen criticised the limited overtaking opportunities at the circuit. Antonelli now has 292 points, 81 more than teammate Russell on 211, with Hamilton third on 191 and Norris fourth on 186.
"There'll be no stopping him and Mercedes this year," Hamilton said. The championship continues with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku on 26 September 2026.