2026 F1 Spanish Grand Prix Recap

By Ryan Wu

Kimi Antonelli won the debut race at the Madring Circuit in Madrid, Spain, extending his Championship lead to 81 points over his teammate George Russell with nine races remaining in 2026, Mercedes also extended its constructors lead to 145 points over Ferrari.

The closing stages of the race were not without their dramatic moments, as Antonelli made contact with the wall, but luckily for him, his Mercedes was left unscathed.

The 20 year old’s continual habit of pushing his car to the limit when it is not necessary, as demonstrated when he set the fastest lap of the race on the final lap at Monza last week, has seen him walk right on the edge and become F1’s worst offender for track limit breaches this season.

That being said, great risks come with great rewards, and this is now Antonelli’s eighth win of the season and his second in a row as he marches towards his maiden title and the distinction of becoming F1’s youngest ever World Champion.

Race Recap

Lando Norris started the race on pole and immediately engaged in a fight with Antonelli, the latter of whom went off track twice within the first five turns and had to give the position back to polesitter Norris on both occasions. A little further back, Oscar Piastri made contact with the back of George Russell’s Mercedes as the race got off to a frantic start.

Max Verstappen was told to give his position back to Lewis Hamilton after his race engineer suggested that it appeared as though Verstappen had overtaken Hamilton off track. He therefore had to let Antonelli through as well, dropping from second to fourth on lap 5. Hamilton would soon report a brake failure, allowing Verstappen and Leclerc to overtake him. The seven-time World Champion then began to tumble down the order and was eventually ordered to retire the car on lap 6.

Norris received some rotten luck when the Virtual Safety Car was activated after Lance Stroll pulled his damaged Aston Martin off the track on lap 16. The timing could not have been worse for Norris, as the VSC was activated just after he passed the final corner and entered the start finish straight. This allowed Antonelli, Verstappen and George Russell, who were behind him, to pit immediately for a fresh set of tires while Norris could not. The other drivers gained a significant amount of time as a result, and when Norris eventually pitted at the end of the VSC period, he was also hampered by a slow pit stop.

The sequence all but ended Norris’s bid to win the race, as Leclerc, Antonelli and Verstappen all passed him while he was in the pit lane.

When Charles Leclerc pitted for new tires for the first time on lap 48, it allowed Antonelli to take the race lead, although he was already the net race leader at the time.

With two laps remaining, Norris and Verstappen engaged in a great fight for second place.

However, the reigning World Champion was unable to make a move due to the tight confines of the circuit.

Following his retirement, Lewis Hamilton was quoted by Sky Sports as saying, “There’s no stopping him, Antonelli, or Mercedes this year,” seemingly signaling defeat when it comes to anyone’s chances of winning the title this season.

Racing Refresh Driver of the Day

Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Final Points Finishing Positions

1st:  Kimi Antonelli

2nd: Max Verstappen

3rd: Lando Norris

4th: Charles Leclerc

5th: George Russell

6th: Liam Lawson

7th: Franco Colapinto

8th: Oscar Piastri

9th: Arvid Lindblad

10th: Nico Hulkenberg

Next on the F1 Schedule:

Azerbaijan Grand Prix: September 24th-26th