Kimi Antonelli once again demonstrated why he is considered one of the brightest talents of his generation. In a race full of drama and strategic intrigue, the Mercedes driver emerged victorious at the Spanish Grand Prix, beating Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. This eighth win of the season extends his championship lead to 81 points.
The inaugural race at the new Madring circuit in Madrid was action-packed from the moment the lights went out. Pole-sitter Norris came under immediate pressure from Antonelli, who tried several times to pass, even cutting the chicane in one attempt. Verstappen, starting third, was also in the mix, keeping the leading duo honest.
Early on, an incident between Hamilton and Verstappen caused tension. Hamilton felt Verstappen should not have been ahead after cutting the corner, while Verstappen complained Hamilton nearly crashed into him. Red Bull eventually ordered Verstappen to give the position back to avoid a penalty. However, Hamilton's brake issues forced him to drop down the order, and Ferrari decided to retire his car on lap seven, a huge blow for the Italian team.
Amidst the chaos, Norris built a 4.5-second lead over Antonelli. But a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) caused by Lance Stroll stopping at Turn 20 changed everything. Mercedes and Red Bull cleverly called in Antonelli, Russell, and Verstappen for fresh tyres. Norris, unable to take advantage, pitted after the race resumed, but a disastrous 7-second pit stop dropped him to fifth behind Leclerc, who had not yet stopped.
After Leclerc finally pitted on lap 48, Antonelli took the lead. Despite complaining of a strange feeling in the steering, the 20-year-old remained calm and kept Verstappen at bay. Norris, in third, tried desperately to pass Verstappen, but the reigning champion was solid and gave no room. At the flag, Antonelli won by 4.2 seconds from Verstappen and 5 seconds from Norris.
This result further solidifies Antonelli's position at the top of the standings. His teammate, George Russell, had to settle for fifth after struggling with tyre temperatures all weekend. Meanwhile, Liam Lawson impressed with sixth for Red Bull, followed by Franco Colapinto, Oscar Piastri, Arvid Lindblad, and Nico Hulkenberg completing the top ten.
The race also saw four retirements: Carlos Sainz, who had issues in front of his home crowd, Sergio Perez with a suspected water system problem, and Lance Stroll joining Hamilton with brake troubles. Esteban Ocon finished 11th, ahead of Gasly, Bortoleto, and Tsunoda. Alex Albon was the sole Williams finisher in 15th, ahead of Bearman, Alonso, and Bottas.
After the race, Antonelli was happy but humble. "It was a very difficult race, not straightforward at all, especially trying to manage tyres," he said. "It's good to win, but it doesn't feel as good because I think Lando today deserved to win. But overall, we'll take it. And other than that, it was a very strong race. I think especially on the hard at the end we had really good pace, and now we're gonna keep pushing." This victory is a valuable boost for Antonelli and Mercedes ahead of the first triple header of the 2026 season, starting with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on September 24-26.
Baca Juga
Lando Norris mengkritik aturan VSC yang dinilai tidak adil setelah kehilangan kemenangan di Grand Prix Spanyol 2026. Simak analisis dan dampaknya.
Pembalap F1 mengkritik sirkuit Madrid setelah GP Spanyol yang minim overtaking. Kimi Antonelli menang, tapi balapan dianggap membosankan.
Max Verstappen ngamuk dipaksa Red Bull mengalah di GP Spanyol 2026, tapi bangkit finis P2 dan raih Driver of the Day. Simak drama radio dan analisisnya.
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