Kimi Antonelli wins first Spanish Grand Prix at Madring and extends championship lead
Kimi Antonelli claimed victory in the historic, inaugural Spanish Grand Prix held at the new Madring circuit in Madrid. The 20-year-old Mercedes driver triumphed on 13 September 2026 after 57 laps, ahead of Max Verstappen in the Red Bull and Lando Norris in the McLaren. According to the official Formula 1 and FIA results, Antonelli crossed the finish line in 1:34:23.754, 4.351 seconds ahead of Verstappen, while Norris finished 5.089 seconds behind the winner. It was Antonelli's eighth triumph of the season and a result that increased his lead at the top of the drivers' standings to 81 points. At the same time, he became the first Formula 1 race winner at Madring, immediately giving the new Madrid circuit an important place in the history of the world championship.
The victory, however, emerged from a race in which the speed of the leading drivers was not the only decisive factor. Norris started from pole position and controlled the pace during the first part of the race, but the sequence of events during the virtual safety car completely changed the strategic picture. Mercedes called Antonelli into the pits at the right moment, while McLaren failed to use the same opportunity for Norris's stop. When Norris finally changed tyres after the race returned to normal conditions, he was further hurt by a slow pit stop, causing him to lose positions that he later had to recover on track. Antonelli therefore combined his own speed with an effective team strategy to take control of the race and turn a favourable turn of events into one of the most important victories of his career so far.
Norris started from pole position, Antonelli attacked immediately
According to official Formula 1 data, Norris secured pole position in qualifying with a lap of 1:31.824, just 0.011 seconds ahead of Antonelli, while Verstappen started third. That order promised a direct fight between the leading contenders from the very beginning of the race, and that is exactly what happened. Antonelli attacked aggressively in the opening corners, but in his attempts to pass he went beyond the track limits several times, preventing him from taking the lead immediately. Verstappen briefly took advantage of the situation and moved ahead of the Italian, but the order soon changed again after further battles and positions being handed back. Norris remained in the lead during this phase and gradually began to build an advantage, while Antonelli settled into second place.
In the first part of the race, the McLaren driver looked like the man with the best combination of pace and tyre control. Formula 1's report states that Norris at one point increased his advantage to around four and a half seconds, while Antonelli had to manage the degradation of the medium compound. The Mercedes driver also had several moments away from the ideal racing line, but stayed close enough to remain within strategic reach of the leader. At the same time Lewis Hamilton, who had started fourth, began experiencing serious brake problems and Ferrari had to retire him from the race at an early stage. That further narrowed the battle at the front to Norris's McLaren, Antonelli's Mercedes and Verstappen's Red Bull, with Charles Leclerc and George Russell close behind.
Virtual safety car changed the race
The key moment came when Lance Stroll stopped near Turn 20 because of a brake problem. Race control activated the virtual safety car, or VSC, which requires drivers to remain below a prescribed time limit without the physical deployment of a safety car onto the circuit. According to Formula 1's report, Mercedes and Red Bull immediately took advantage of the opportunity and called Antonelli, Russell and Verstappen into the pits. Because everyone had to drive at a reduced speed, a pit stop during a VSC generally results in a smaller relative time loss than a stop made under normal racing conditions. That moment was precisely what opened Antonelli's path to victory.
McLaren was unable to react within the same window with Norris. The VSC ended before the race leader was able to take advantage of the more favourable conditions, so Norris made his stop after the race had returned to full-speed running. His situation was made even worse by a stop lasting around seven seconds, according to the Formula 1 report, which dropped him behind several rivals. He emerged from the pits in fifth place, behind Leclerc, Antonelli, Verstappen and Russell. As a result, a race that until then had appeared to be under Norris's control acquired a completely different order within only a few minutes.
For Antonelli, that sequence of events was a major opportunity, but victory was still far from guaranteed. Leclerc, who had not changed tyres during the VSC, remained technically in the lead and Ferrari tried to extend his stint in the hope that a later safety car or stoppage could create another strategic opportunity. Antonelli therefore had to stay close enough to the Ferrari while simultaneously controlling Verstappen behind him. At one point he also complained about an unusual feeling through the steering wheel, although according to the available data Mercedes did not find a clear technical problem in the telemetry. The Italian also had to be careful about track limits because further infringements could have put him at risk of a time penalty.
Leclerc delayed his pit stop, Norris fought his way back towards the front
As the race approached its final stages, the strategic picture began to become clearer. Russell made an additional stop, making Norris's progress easier, while the McLaren driver tried to take advantage of every opportunity to return towards the leaders. Leclerc continued on older tyres and held first place for several laps, but at the end of lap 48 he went into the pits. That finally gave Antonelli the actual lead on track, with Verstappen and Norris behind him in a direct fight for second place.
Norris was fast enough in the closing laps to put Verstappen under pressure, but overtaking at Madring proved extremely difficult. When Verstappen made a mistake and ran wide at one of the corners, Norris closed in and tried to seize the opportunity, but was unable to complete the move. The Red Bull driver kept second place to the finish, only 0.738 seconds ahead of the McLaren. Antonelli, meanwhile, increased the gap and completed the race without coming under immediate pressure. The official result awarded him 25 points for victory, Verstappen 18 and Norris 15.
Leclerc finished behind the leading trio, while Russell was fifth. Liam Lawson took sixth place for Red Bull, Franco Colapinto was seventh for Alpine, Oscar Piastri eighth for McLaren, Arvid Lindblad ninth for Racing Bulls, and Nico Hülkenberg tenth for Audi. The FIA states that Lewis Hamilton, Lance Stroll, Carlos Sainz and Sergio Pérez did not finish the race. Fernando Alonso finished 17th, while Sainz was forced to retire after a race in which he had earlier also received a penalty for contact with Alonso. The home crowd therefore had little reason to celebrate in terms of results, but the inaugural race in Madrid nevertheless produced the historic first winner at the new circuit.
Antonelli leaves Madrid with 292 points and an 81-point lead
Victory in Madrid further strengthened Antonelli's position as the leading favourite for the world championship title. According to the official Formula 1 standings after the Spanish Grand Prix, Antonelli has 292 points, while his team-mate George Russell is second with 211. Lewis Hamilton is third with 191 points, Norris fourth with 186, Leclerc fifth with 167 and Verstappen sixth with 145 points. The 81-point gap between the two Mercedes drivers is particularly significant because it shows how successfully Antonelli has converted the car's speed into victories and major points finishes throughout the season.
Eight victories in 14 races held so far also provide broader context for his season. The official Formula 1 calendar shows that before Madrid Antonelli had won in China, Japan, Miami, Canada, Monaco, Belgium and Italy. He arrived in Madrid after winning at Monza, meaning that his success at Madring represented his second consecutive triumph. Such a run further increased the pressure on his rivals, especially because Mercedes is also highly dominant in the constructors' standings.
According to the official team standings, Mercedes leads after the Spanish race with 468 points. Ferrari is second with 346, McLaren third with 287 and Red Bull fourth with 204 points. That means Mercedes enters the final part of the championship with a large advantage in both the drivers' and constructors' competitions. Antonelli's victory is therefore not only a personal achievement but also a result that further strengthens Mercedes' control of the 2026 season.
Madring debuts as Formula 1's new major stage
The 2026 Spanish Grand Prix was the first Formula 1 race at Madring, a new hybrid complex combining sections of public roads with purpose-built stretches around the IFEMA exhibition centre in the north-eastern part of Madrid. Before the race, Formula 1 listed the circuit length as 5.416 kilometres, while Madring's organisers round the figure in their materials to approximately 5.4 kilometres. The circuit has 22 corners, and one of its most recognisable features is the banked La Monumental turn. The organiser states that the corner has a 24 percent gradient and is around 550 metres long.
Formula 1's return to Madrid also had a historical dimension. According to Formula 1 data, the Jarama circuit, located north of the Spanish capital, hosted nine world championship races between 1968 and 1981. Madring therefore marked the championship's return to Madrid after 45 years, but at an entirely new location and in a significantly different urban setting. Organisers announced that around 353,000 spectators passed through the complex over the entire weekend and described the inaugural event as sold out. Antonelli was presented with the winner's trophy on the podium by Spain's King Felipe VI., further emphasising the symbolic importance of the first edition of the race.
For visitors, Madring was conceived as an urban race accessible by public transport and connected to Madrid-Barajas International Airport. Such a location is one of the main reasons why the project was presented from the outset as a different model for staging a major sporting event in a European metropolis. In sporting terms, however, the first race immediately raised questions about how many opportunities the circuit configuration itself would offer for close racing and overtaking. That issue became one of the main topics after Sunday's race.
Drivers criticise lack of overtaking opportunities
Although Madring generated great interest as a new circuit, the inaugural race was criticised for the low number of overtakes. The Guardian reported on 14 September that there were fewer than ten overtakes during the 57 laps and that drivers and teams openly called for changes to the configuration after the race. Despite his victory, Antonelli said that some corners should be modified to create more opportunities to attack. Verstappen also pointed out that a defending driver can block the available space very effectively in certain sections of the circuit, while Norris felt that the track has potential but requires changes to improve the quality of the racing.
According to the same report, discussions about possible changes had already begun between the organisers, the FIA and team representatives. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said he had spoken with circuit management about how to improve overtaking opportunities, while McLaren's Andrea Stella said that the current configuration requires too great a speed difference between two cars for a passing attempt to be realistic. These remarks are important for the event's long-term future because Madring has a multi-year contract to host the Spanish Grand Prix. The first edition showed that the infrastructure, spectators and logistics can attract major interest, but also that the quality of the racing will be crucial to the circuit's reputation.
Norris: the result does not show how close he was to victory
Lando Norris's third place only partially describes the course of his race. Starting from pole position, controlling the opening phase and building a lead before the VSC showed that McLaren had the pace to win. Antonelli himself admitted after the race that Norris had driven very strongly and that the combination of circumstances had significantly influenced the final outcome. In a sport where strategic windows are often decided by seconds, the brief period of the virtual safety car in Madrid had consequences that were felt all the way to the finish.
For Mercedes, the same situation was an example of a precise operational response. The team called Antonelli in at exactly the right moment, and the driver then completed the final part of the race without making a mistake that would have left him vulnerable to Verstappen. He also had to manage his tyres, respect track limits and remain calm while Leclerc temporarily led on a different strategy. When the Ferrari finally stopped, Antonelli had enough pace to open up a gap and avoid a direct fight in the closing laps. Such a combination of speed, strategy and control is often what separates victory from merely a good result.
The season continues with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix from 24 to 26 September in Baku. Antonelli arrives there as the championship leader and with the largest points advantage he has held during 2026. His eight victories and an 81-point lead over Russell put him in a strong position, but enough races remain on the calendar that the mathematical outcome has not yet been decided. Madrid therefore primarily confirmed the trend: Mercedes and Antonelli are currently setting the standard that the rest of the field must try to match.
Sources:
- Formula 1 - official race report, sequence of key events, statements and results (link)
- FIA - official report and final classification of the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix (link)
- Formula 1 - official race results from Madrid (link)
- Formula 1 - official 2026 drivers' standings (link)
- Formula 1 - official 2026 constructors' standings (link)
- Formula 1 - information about Madring, the weekend schedule and the history of Formula 1 races in Madrid (link)
- MADRING - official organisers' statement about the first race, attendance and circuit features (link)
- The Guardian - reactions from drivers and teams and information on discussions about possible circuit changes (link)