Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS driver Kimi Antonelli won the first Spanish Grand Prix held at Madrid’s new Madring circuit, beating Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and McLaren’s Lando Norris after Virtual Safety Car timing flipped the race. It was Antonelli’s eighth win of the 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship season.
How it was won
Norris started from pole and led early after Antonelli twice had to give positions back for cutting corners on the opening lap. The decisive moment came around lap 15, when a Virtual Safety Car — triggered when Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll stopped — allowed Antonelli, Verstappen and teammate George Russell to pit under reduced speed. Norris had already passed the pit entry and stopped a lap later under green, compounded by a slow front-right change.
On a circuit that proved difficult to overtake, the top three settled into a one-stop rhythm. Antonelli crossed the line in 1:34:23.754, 4.351s ahead of Verstappen, with Norris a further 0.738s back in third. Charles Leclerc was fourth for Ferrari; Russell fifth; Liam Lawson sixth for Red Bull. Lewis Hamilton retired early with a brake issue; Carlos Sainz, Sergio Pérez and Stroll also failed to finish.
Antonelli left Madrid roughly 81 points clear in the drivers’ championship (lead figures vary slightly by source rounding of sprint/bonus points; treat F1.com standings as authoritative). Next stop: the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku (September 26 weekend).
Results snapshot
| Pos | Driver | Team | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 57 laps; 25 pts |
| 2 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | +4.351s |
| 3 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +5.089s; started on pole |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +29.116s |
| 5 | George Russell | Mercedes | +29.829s; fastest lap |
| 6 | Liam Lawson | Red Bull Racing | +86.746s |
| 7 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | |
| 8 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | |
| 9 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | +1 lap |
| 10 | Nico Hülkenberg | Audi | +1 lap; final point |
Race facts (verified): 57 laps at Madring; Antonelli race time 1:34:23.754; Russell fastest lap 1:35.587 (lap 49).
Purse
Not published in official F1 sources reviewed; omitted.
History & significance
Spain’s Formula 1 race moved from the long-time Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya home to the purpose-built Madring in the Spanish capital for 2026 — the first world-championship GP on this layout. Antonelli became the venue’s first F1 winner and further cemented Mercedes’ drivers’-championship buffer heading into the autumn flyaways.
What’s next
Formula 1 resumes at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix (Baku City Circuit, late September). Texas readers eyeing a home F1 date: the United States Grand Prix returns to Circuit of The Americas in Austin (October 22–25, 2026 weekend).