Antonelli wins at Madring

Kimi Antonelli took advantage of a costly McLaren strategy error to win the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix at Madrid’s Madring circuit, while Lando Norris saw a race he had controlled from pole position slip away.

Norris made a strong start and quickly took the lead, but the race changed on lap 14 when Lance Stroll crashed into the barriers. 

The incident triggered a Virtual Safety Car just after Norris had passed the pit entry, leaving McLaren unable to make the kind of stop that would have protected his position.

By the time Norris came in, the advantage had disappeared. A slow pit-stop sequence left him behind several cars, while Antonelli stopped under more favorable conditions and took control of the race.

The Mercedes driver then managed the restart and the remaining strategy well, with Max Verstappen moving into second and Norris forced to recover from the midfield. 

Passing proved difficult around the narrow Madrid circuit, making it almost impossible to recover the time lost in the pits.

Antonelli eventually crossed the line to claim his eighth victory of the season. Verstappen finished second, while Norris had to settle for third. 

Charles Leclerc took fourth ahead of George Russell, with Liam Lawson completing the top six. Lewis Hamilton endured an even shorter afternoon. 

The Ferrari driver retired after seven laps with brake problems, ending his run of finishing every race this season.

The win extended Antonelli’s lead over Russell to 81 points after 14 rounds and gave him back-to-back victories following his success at the Italian Grand Prix. 

The result further strengthened his position at the top of the championship with nine races still to come.

Antonelli admitted after the race that Norris had looked like the stronger driver for much of the afternoon. 

The Italian also suggested the circumstances around the Virtual Safety Car played a major role in the result, with McLaren’s timing leaving Norris exposed.