Andrea Kimi Antonelli secured his eighth victory of the 2026 Formula 1 season at the Spanish Grand Prix in Madring on Sunday. The Mercedes driver crossed the finish line first at the new circuit, further extending his lead in the Drivers’ Championship.
Despite taking the win, Antonelli openly admitted that McLaren’s Lando Norris was the more deserving driver. He stated that the victory ‘doesn’t feel as good’ due to the circumstances of the race.
Norris had started the Spanish Grand Prix from pole position, having delivered a ‘masterpiece’ of a qualifying lap on Saturday. He then controlled the opening stages of the race, building a significant lead over the chasing pack.
The turning point occurred on lap 14 when a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) was deployed following Lance Stroll’s incident. Norris had just passed the pit entry when the VSC was called, preventing him from making an immediate ‘cheap’ pit stop.
Antonelli and Max Verstappen, running behind Norris, were able to pit under the VSC, gaining a crucial advantage. Norris was forced to complete another lap and then pitted after the VSC period had ended, suffering a slow seven-second stop.
This sequence of events dropped Norris from the lead to fifth position on track. He subsequently fought back through the field, eventually securing a podium finish in third place.
‘It’s good to win, but it doesn’t feel as good because I think Lando today deserved the win,’ Antonelli stated after the race. ‘But overall, we’ll take it. Other than that, it was a very strong race.’
Norris expressed his frustration, describing the outcome as ‘insanely unlucky.’ He highlighted that the VSC timing was beyond his or the team’s control and questioned rules that can ‘define a race.’
McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella echoed Norris’s sentiments, noting that the timing of the VSC was ‘cruel.’ Stella indicated that Norris had the pace to win by a significant margin.
Antonelli’s eighth victory of the season extends his lead in the 2026 Drivers’ Championship to 81 points over teammate George Russell. Norris’s third-place finish moves him to fourth in the standings.
The top ten finishers at the Spanish Grand Prix were: Antonelli (Mercedes), Verstappen (Red Bull), Norris (McLaren), Leclerc (Ferrari), Russell (Mercedes), Lawson (Red Bull), Colapinto (Alpine), Piastri (McLaren), Lindblad (Racing Bulls), and Hulkenberg (Audi).
