Antonelli Lucks into 2026 Spanish GP Victory

Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli lucked into victory at the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix to extend his title lead.

Antonelli benefitted from a controversially well-timed Virtual Safety Car (VSC) at the end of lap 14 to assume the net lead by making his only stop, whilst race leader – Lando Norris had to wait a lap after he had passed the pit entry prior to the VSC and dropped to fifth at his stop on lap 16.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc consequently assumed the actual race lead amidst the VSC chaos after he opted to start on the hard tyre compound, which allowed him to stay out until he stopped at the end of lap 48 to give the lead to Antonelli.

Antonelli eventually proceeded to take his eighth Grand Prix victory of the season from Verstappen and Norris.

Leclerc finished fourth from George Russell, Liam Lawson, Franco Colapinto, Oscar Piastri, Arvid Lindblad and Nico Hulkenberg.

In the drivers’ standings, Antonelli extended his title lead over Russell to 81 points whilst Hamilton fell 102 points adrift after he retired with a brake failure.

At lights out, Norris made a clean start to lead Antonelli who opted to cut the chicanes across Turns one and two then Turns five and six, but the Italian gave the lead back to Norris on both occasions only for Verstappen to sneak through into second.

Verstappen however had cut the first chicane whilst he battled Hamilton for third and was forced by Red Bull on the fourth lap to give positions back to Antonelli and Hamilton, before he cleared the latter on the next lap as Hamilton encountered a terminal brake issue.

Further behind the lead quartet, Piastri slipped to tenth at the start after he punted the rear of Russell’s Mercedes which allowed Colapinto to jump from ninth to seventh ahead of Lawson, Lindblad and Piastri.

Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll meanwhile ran deep at Turn 20 on lap 13 and got stuck trying to reverse, which caused the VSC to be deployed a lap later, albeit controversially after Norris was allowed to go past the pit lane which allowed Antonelli a cheap pit stop.

The VSC then was withdrawn just as Norris pitted a lap later which handed the net lead to Antonelli from Verstappen and Russell, whilst Leclerc inherited the actual lead despite having not made his stop.

Norris consequently rejoined in fifth after a slow front-right tyre change cost him time to Russell who had gone from hard to medium tyres a lap earlier, whilst Norris had switched from medium to hard tyres.

Russell however was forced to make a second stop on lap 29 which saw him drop from fourth to sixth but he repassed Lawson on lap 35 for fifth.

Leclerc meanwhile held Antonelli at bay until Verstappen and Norris had sucked the Italian to within their grasp by the middle of lap 47, before he then pitted at the end of lap 48 to relinquish the lead.

Antonelli eventually held off Verstappen and Norris to take the first F1 victory around the Madring, whilst Leclerc settled for fourth.

F1 now heads to Azerbaijan from Thursday 24 to Saturday 26 September, with the race weekend in Baku brought forward a day due to Sunday 27 September marking Azerbaijan’s Remembrance Day.

Position	Driver	Team	Laps	Time
1	Andrea Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	57	1h 34m 23.754
2	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	57	+ 4.351
3	Lando Norris	McLaren	57	+ 5.089
4	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	57	+ 29.116
5	George Russell	Mercedes	57	+ 29.829
6	Liam Lawson	Red Bull	57	+ 86.746
7	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	57	+ 94.281
8	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	57	+ 95.839
9	Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls	57	+ 1 Lap
10	Nico Hulkenberg	Audi	57	+ 1 Lap
11	Esteban Ocon	Haas	57	+ 1 Lap
12	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	57	+ 1 Lap
13	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	57	+ 1 Lap
14	Yuki Tsunoda	Racing Bulls	57	+ 1 Lap
15	Alex Albon	Williams	57	+ 1 Lap
16	Oliver Bearman	Haas	57	+ 1 Lap
17	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	56	+ 2 Laps
18	Valtteri Bottas	Cadillac	56	+ 3 Laps
RET	Carlos Sainz	Williams	43	Damage
RET	Sergio Perez	Cadillac	34	Mechanical
RET	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	12	Spin
RET	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	6	Brakes