Antonelli Makes History in Madrid: Wins the First-Ever Spanish Grand Prix at the Madring

Madrid has a new Formula 1 king. Kimi Antonelli became the first driver to win a Formula 1 Grand Prix at the brand-new Madring, turning a difficult strategic race into another crucial victory in his march toward the 2026 World Championship.

Lando Norris looked destined for victory after starting from pole and controlling the opening stages, but a perfectly timed Virtual Safety Car allowed Antonelli to gain the advantage during the pit-stop cycle. Max Verstappen eventually finished second, while Norris recovered to take the final podium position.

With his eighth Grand Prix victory of the season, Antonelli extended his championship advantage to 81 points over Mercedes teammate George Russell.

How the race unfolded

The inaugural Spanish Grand Prix at Madrid's Madring began with Norris holding the advantage from pole, but Antonelli immediately came under pressure.

Norris kept the lead while Antonelli battled Verstappen behind him. Ferrari also showed strong pace, with Charles Leclerc eventually moving into contention for the podium.

The decisive moment came during a Virtual Safety Car period. Antonelli was able to make a relatively cheap pit stop, gaining a strategic advantage over Norris. The McLaren driver subsequently lost the lead he had built during the opening phase of the race.

Once the pit-stop cycle was complete, Antonelli found himself at the front. Verstappen then applied pressure, while Norris fought to recover second place. The McLaren driver eventually had to settle for third after Verstappen defended successfully during the closing laps.

Antonelli crossed the line to become the first-ever winner of the Spanish Grand Prix at the Madring, extending his championship advantage in the process.

Spanish Grand Prix race results

The official classification records Antonelli's winning time as 1:34:23.754, with Verstappen 4.351 seconds behind and Norris 5.089 seconds back.

1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), 1:34:23.754, 25 pts
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing), +4.351s, 18 pts
3. Lando Norris (McLaren), +5.089s, 15 pts
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), +29.116s, 12 pts
5. George Russell (Mercedes), +29.829s, 10 pts
6. Liam Lawson (Red Bull Racing), 8 pts
7. Franco Colapinto (Alpine), 6 pts
8. Oscar Piastri (McLaren), 4 pts
9. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls), 2 pts
10. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi), 1 pt
11. Esteban Ocon (Haas)
12. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi)
13. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
14. Yuki Tsunoda (Racing Bulls)
15. Alexander Albon (Williams)
16. Oliver Bearman (Haas)
17. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
18. Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac)

Four drivers failed to finish:

• Carlos Sainz (Williams), DNF
• Sergio Perez (Cadillac), DNF
• Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), DNF
• Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari), DNF

Race highlights

• Kimi Antonelli claimed his eighth Grand Prix victory of 2026.
• Antonelli became the first Formula 1 winner at Madrid's new Madring.
• Max Verstappen finished second after a strong strategic race.
• Lando Norris lost a likely victory after McLaren's pit-stop timing worked against him during the VSC.
• Charles Leclerc finished fourth and was Ferrari's only finisher inside the top five.
• George Russell completed the top five and remains second in the championship.
• Liam Lawson scored sixth for Red Bull.
• Franco Colapinto equalled his best F1 finish in seventh.
• Oscar Piastri recovered to eighth after a difficult weekend.
• Lewis Hamilton retired early with a brake problem.
• Carlos Sainz, Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll were also classified as retirements.

Fastest lap

George Russell (Mercedes) set the fastest lap of the race with a 1:35.587.

Qualifying: Norris grabs pole by 0.011 seconds

The first-ever Formula 1 qualifying session at the Madring delivered a dramatic finale.

Kimi Antonelli appeared to have pole position within reach, but Lando Norris produced a stunning final lap to steal P1 by just 0.011 seconds. Max Verstappen completed the top three, while both Ferraris qualified inside the top five.

Norris's 1:31.824 was enough to make him the first driver to claim pole at the new Madrid circuit.

1. Lando Norris (McLaren), 1:31.824
2. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), 1:31.835
3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing), 1:31.964
4. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari), 1:32.013
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), 1:32.019
6. George Russell (Mercedes), 1:32.149
7. Oscar Piastri (McLaren), 1:32.294
8. Liam Lawson (Red Bull Racing), 1:32.316
9. Franco Colapinto (Alpine), 1:32.903
10. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls), 1:33.041
11. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi), 1:33.223
12. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi), 1:33.388
13. Esteban Ocon (Haas), 1:33.667
14. Pierre Gasly (Alpine), 1:33.753
15. Yuki Tsunoda (Racing Bulls), 1:34.084
16. Alexander Albon (Williams), 1:35.532
17. Carlos Sainz (Williams), 1:35.312
18. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), 1:35.388
19. Sergio Perez (Cadillac), 1:35.913
20. Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac), 1:38.011

Carlos Sainz qualified 17th but was given a three-place grid penalty for impeding Valtteri Bottas, meaning he started the race from 20th.

Qualifying highlights:

• Norris secured his third pole position of the season.
• Norris beat Antonelli by just 0.011 seconds.
• Verstappen qualified third ahead of both Ferraris.
• Mercedes placed both cars inside the top six.
• Franco Colapinto and Arvid Lindblad reached Q3.
• Carlos Sainz was penalised three grid places for impeding Bottas.

Drivers' Championship standings after the Spanish GP

Antonelli's victory changes the championship picture dramatically. The Mercedes driver now has 292 points, giving him an 81-point advantage over George Russell. Lewis Hamilton remains third on 191, while Lando Norris' podium brings him to 186.

1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), 292
2. George Russell (Mercedes), 211
3. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari), 191
4. Lando Norris (McLaren), 186
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), 167
6. Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing), 145
7. Oscar Piastri (McLaren), 120
8. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull Racing), 71
9. Liam Lawson (Red Bull Racing), 59
10. Pierre Gasly (Alpine), 41
11. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls), 31
12. Franco Colapinto (Alpine), 27
13. Oliver Bearman (Haas), 18
14. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi), 10
15. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi), 7
16. Carlos Sainz (Williams), 6
17. Alexander Albon (Williams), 5
18. Esteban Ocon (Haas), 3
19. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), 3
20. Yuki Tsunoda (Racing Bulls), 1
21. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), 0
22. Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac), 0
23. Sergio Perez (Cadillac), 0

Constructors' Championship standings after the Spanish GP

Mercedes continues to dominate the team championship. With Antonelli winning and Russell finishing fifth, Mercedes has now reached 503 points, opening a massive 145-point advantage over Ferrari. McLaren remains third, while Red Bull continues to occupy fourth.

1. Mercedes, 503
2. Ferrari, 358
3. McLaren, 306
4. Red Bull Racing, 230
5. Racing Bulls, 77
6. Alpine, 68
7. Haas F1 Team, 21
8. Audi, 17
9. Williams, 11
10. Aston Martin, 3
11. Cadillac, 0

The bigger picture

Fourteen rounds down, and Kimi Antonelli is pulling away. The Italian's victory in Madrid has transformed the championship into a potentially one-sided battle. With 292 points, Antonelli now holds an 81-point lead over George Russell and is 101 points clear of Lewis Hamilton.

Lando Norris remains the most significant threat outside Mercedes. His third-place finish moved him to 186 points, only five behind Hamilton and 25 behind Russell.

Max Verstappen's second-place finish brings him to 145 points, but he remains 147 points behind the championship leader.

The Constructors' Championship tells an even clearer story. Mercedes leads Ferrari by 145 points, with McLaren another 52 points behind Ferrari. The Silver Arrows are firmly in control with the season entering its final stages.

Madrid also gave Formula 1 a memorable first chapter at the Madring: a new circuit, a new winner, and a championship leader who looks increasingly difficult to stop. Fourteen races down, the 2026 title is starting to look like Antonelli's to lose.