Kimi Antonelli continued his remarkable 2026 season with another victory, winning the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix at Madrid’s new Madring circuit after a perfectly timed strategy helped him overcome pole sitter Lando Norris and hold off Max Verstappen.

Norris started from pole and controlled the opening stages of the race, with Antonelli staying close behind while Verstappen remained within striking distance. The race changed dramatically when Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin stopped on track, triggering a Virtual Safety Car.

Antonelli’s Mercedes team reacted immediately and brought him into the pits at the perfect moment. Norris was unable to take advantage of the same opportunity, allowing Antonelli to emerge in a much stronger position once racing resumed.

The strategy shake up also brought Charles Leclerc into contention for victory. The Ferrari driver found himself leading the race for a period, while Antonelli continued to manage his tyres and close the gap. However, Leclerc eventually had to make a late pit stop, handing the lead back to Antonelli with just eight laps remaining.

From there, Antonelli kept his composure despite pressure from Verstappen behind. The Red Bull driver pushed hard in the closing stages but could not find a way past the Mercedes.

Antonelli crossed the finish line to claim his eighth victory of the season, with Verstappen taking second and Norris completing the podium in third.

Leclerc finished fourth ahead of George Russell, while Oscar Piastri took sixth. Liam Lawson finished seventh, followed by Franco Colapinto, Arvid Lindblad and Sergio Perez in the remaining top ten positions.

The race was a difficult one for Ferrari and Mercedes despite both teams showing strong pace throughout the weekend. Lewis Hamilton was forced to retire early after suffering brake problems, while Carlos Sainz also failed to finish his home race. Fernando Alonso finished 17th.

For Antonelli, the victory is another major step in what has become a dominant championship campaign. After winning his home race at Monza from 19th on the grid, the young Italian has now followed it up with another victory at the first ever Formula 1 race in Madrid.

Antonelli leaves Spain with his championship lead strengthened once again, while Norris is left to wonder what might have been after starting from pole and appearing to have the race under control before the Virtual Safety Car changed everything.

Madrid has its first Formula 1 winner, and once again it is Kimi Antonelli standing at the centre of the celebrations.