Antonelli claims victory at Madrid’s new F1 circuit

Kimi Antonelli held off Max Verstappen to win the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix at Madrid’s new Madring circuit on Sunday, marking his eighth victory of the season and second in just eight days following his win at Monza.

Earlier in the weekend, Lando Norris claimed his third pole position of the season, after edging out championship leader Antonelli by just 0.011 seconds in an exhilarating lap he called “one of the best” of his career. Verstappen and Hamilton completed the front two rows.

Although this race offered little on-track action due to lack of overtaking opportunities, misfortune and a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) completely unravelled the order regardless.

Hamilton’s afternoon fell apart first, having been handed third place back after Verstappen cut the first corner, he lost positions steadily to worsening brake issues before retiring after seven laps – his first DNF of the season.

After the race, he explained: “Braking for Turn 5 I hit the brake, the car started stopping and then the pedal took a step and all of a sudden the car didn’t de-accelerate as fast a normal.”

This handed the lead to Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who gambled on an extended strategy hoping for a Safety Car that never fully arrived, before finally pitting with just nine laps to go and ending his race in fourth position.

The turning point came when Lance Stroll retired on lap 14, after also suffering from brake issues that triggered the race’s only Virtual Safety Car. This meant what could’ve been a comfortable win for Norris was pried from him. As he passed the pit entry, he was unable to stop immediately, losing 25 seconds compared to his rivals who lost 13 seconds by pitting under the VSC. His delayed stop cost him the race entirely, sparking post-race debate over VSC deployment, with Norris himself calling it “unfair.”

Antonelli eventually pulled clear once Leclerc pitted, crossing the line 4.2 seconds ahead of Verstappen, with Norris unable to recover his lead. Despite his victory, Antonelli stated: “It’s good to win, but it doesn’t feel as good because I think Lando today deserved to win. But overall, you know, we’ll take it.”

Impressions of the circuit itself were mixed. The Madring’s tight, 22 corner, low grip, 5.474km layout made overtaking notoriously difficult with drivers, such a Alex Albon calling the race “pretty boring,” while Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto said he “almost fell asleep.” The paddock had largely predicted a procession before the race and got one.

This is because the track is largely constrained by an exhibition centre and an airport, geographically making it not the easiest place to put a motor racing circuit. However, in response to these complaints, the organisers reported to the FIA that they are prepared to make changes to the venue for next year.

Antonelli’s eighth win of the season extends his championship lead to 81 points, with Verstappen second and Norris third. With teammate George Russell and Ferrari’s constructors’ campaign both still within reach, the championship is still all to play for as they head to Baku for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.