F1 result: Kimi Antonelli wins 2026 Spanish GP at Madring after Lando Norris VSC pit-stop blow

Kimi Antonelli claimed the first Formula 1 win in Madring history on Sunday (September 13), turning a Virtual Safety Car into an eighth victory of the 2026 season while Lando Norris paid for a mistimed stop.

The Mercedes driver started second on the new Madrid street circuit and finished 4.351 seconds clear of Max Verstappen, with pole-sitter Norris third a further seven-tenths back after 57 laps of the Formula 1 TAG Heuer Gran Premio de España.

Lando Norris leads, then misses the only free stop

Lando Norris covered the inside line at the start and built a five-second cushion by lap 10. Lewis Hamilton, who had started fourth on softs, was already in trouble. “I don’t have brakes guys,” he told Ferrari before retiring on lap seven.

The race turned on lap 13. Lance Stroll lost his Aston Martin at Turn 20 and a VSC was called. “I have a brake problem, I’ve lost brakes,” Stroll said. Antonelli, Verstappen and George Russell made the stop under the slowed field. Norris had just passed the pit entry. McLaren brought him in after the VSC ended. The stop was slow on the front-right and he rejoined fifth, more than 14 seconds behind the cars that had used the free stop.

Charles Leclerc, still on his original hard tyres, inherited the lead and held it until lap 48. Once the Ferrari came in, Antonelli was in front and stayed there.

Walls, brakes and a home-race collision

Overtaking was almost impossible on a street circuit drivers had spent the weekend calling a car-killer. Antonelli even asked Mercedes to check the car after a moment at Turn 7. “I didn’t touch the wall, but the steering feels weird,” he said. The team told him there were no concerns.

Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz, both starting outside the top 16, collided at Turn 5. Alonso’s radio was blunt: “He squeezed me into the wall man! The start, he crashed into two people, now he squeezed me into the wall on braking.” Sainz took a five-second penalty and later retired. Alonso finished 17th. Sergio Perez also failed to finish.

Russell, on a two-stop that he questioned over the radio, took fastest lap in 1:35.587 and finished fifth, seven-tenths behind Leclerc. Liam Lawson was sixth, Franco Colapinto seventh and Oscar Piastri eighth after early contact with Russell.

Kimi Antonelli pulls clear of the title fight

Max Verstappen cut the Turn 5 chicane while defending from Lando Norris on the penultimate lap and was noted for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. Stewards took no further action. Norris never found a way through.

The result lifts Antonelli to 292 points from 14 rounds. Russell is second on 211, Hamilton third on 191 and Norris fourth on 186. Mercedes lead the constructors’ championship on 503. Nine races remain.