Kimi Antonelli secured another victory at the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix, but this win felt different. The Mercedes driver didn't need to make an on-track overtake; fortune came from a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) deployed at the perfect moment for his rivals, but too late for Lando Norris.
Norris drove an almost flawless race, controlling the pace and only brushing the wall at Turn 7. However, luck deserted him when the VSC was called just after he passed the pit entry, giving every other driver an advantage while he had to pit a lap later and got stuck in traffic. His disappointment was evident after the race.
On the other hand, Charles Leclerc had to relinquish the lead late in the race after choosing not to take advantage of the VSC for a pit stop. That decision cost him the position to Antonelli. The Ferrari driver finished second but showed promising pace.
For McLaren, this result was deeply disappointing. Oscar Piastri had a complicated race after his wing was damaged in a first-lap clash with George Russell. The team's strategy to pit him into traffic left him stuck behind Gabriel Bortoleto and Franco Colapinto, finishing eighth. It was a poor weekend for a team that should have been fighting for the win.
Lewis Hamilton also faced a bitter reality. He had a great start, passing Max Verstappen, but brake issues caused him to hit the wall and retire his Ferrari. "Braking into Turn 5, I hit the brake, the car started stopping, then the pedal went long and the car didn't decelerate as it should," Hamilton said. This DNF hurts Ferrari in their fight for second in the championship, with their advantage over Mercedes now cut to 52 points.
With this win, Mercedes has tied Ferrari for most grand prix wins by a power unit manufacturer (251). Antonelli extends his championship lead to 292 points, though he admitted the win felt less satisfying as Norris deserved to win. "I feel a bit bad for Lando," he said.
Drivers' Standings (Top 5)
Here are the standings after the Spanish GP:
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