SPANISH GP: ANTONELLI HITS THE JACKPOT IN MADRID

Cavalieri Garage Magazine

1 hour ago

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Kimi Antonelli continues to put his stamp on the 2026 World Championship, adding victory in the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix on Madrid's new circuit. The 20-year-old Mercedes driver from Bologna claimed his eighth win of the season, which is also the eighth Formula 1 victory of his career, further strengthening his championship lead with only eight, or at most nine, rounds remaining.

After his spectacular comeback victory at Monza, Antonelli delivered a very different kind of win in Madrid: less dominant, arguably less deserved in terms of outright performance, but extremely valuable for the championship. The fastest driver of the weekend was actually Lando Norris, whose race was turned upside down by the unfortunate timing of the Virtual Safety Car triggered by Lance Stroll's Aston Martin.

The neutralization was activated just moments after the McLaren had passed the pit-lane entrance. Norris was therefore forced to stay out before making his stop one lap later, when the race had already returned to green-flag conditions. That single detail completely reshaped the Grand Prix: Antonelli and Max Verstappen were able to pit under the VSC, saving valuable time and effectively jumping the reigning World Champion.

Antonelli did not take the physical lead until the closing stages. Ferrari had committed Charles Leclerc to an alternative strategy, extending his opening stint on hard tires and keeping him out during the neutralization in the hope that a Safety Car or another interruption might create an opportunity later in the race.

Ferrari's gamble, however, never got the break it needed to turn into a winning strategy. Leclerc eventually had to pit without the benefit of another neutralization and dropped to fourth, behind Norris, who at least recovered to the final step of the podium after showing race-winning pace throughout the weekend.

Antonelli ultimately took the checkered flag ahead of Verstappen and Norris, with Leclerc finishing fourth ahead of the other Mercedes of George Russell. Lewis Hamilton endured a much tougher afternoon: the British driver was forced to retire with a braking-system issue, completing another disappointing weekend for Ferrari and further damaging Maranello's championship ambitions.

Madrid therefore gives Antonelli a victory that may have required some fortunate circumstances, but one carrying enormous championship value. The Mercedes driver leaves Spain with an 81-point advantage over Russell, 101 over Hamilton, 106 over Norris, 125 over Leclerc, and 147 over Verstappen. With the calendar rapidly shrinking, the Italian's championship cushion is becoming increasingly difficult for his rivals to overcome.