A brand new racing venue. A track as new to the Formula 1 grid as is the start of the week every single time. No real time Formula 1 car data that could have even served as reference point to the 11 teams and 22 drivers. And yet, one familiar name that topped the charts in being the first to cross the checkered flag.
You know his name and by now, you’re familiar with his craft; this ain’t an easy game. Kimi Antonelli has become the maiden winner of the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix at Madring, just minutes ago.
From not even being on pole having been outclassed by a seemingly imperiously fast McLaren of Lando Norris on Saturday to ultimately trumping second placed Max Verstappen by a margin north of 4 seconds, Antonelli has blazed a trail for the rest of the races here to follow.
Not only has the winner of the inaugural Madrid Grand Prix extended his world championship lead to 292 points where the season stands right now, the young Italian demonstrated a clinical and more importantly, an error free drive in being the first driver ever to take the checkered flag at the Alonso and Sainz territory.
With 1:34:23:754, Antonelli placed his rapid Mercedes right on the top of the charts with his closest pursuers being Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and McLaren’s Lando Norris, in that order. The Briton’s race compromised during the stop at the first and only virtual safety car wherein the papaya liveried machine endured a prolonged stop in the pits owing to a complication with the front of Norris’s car.
Could Norris have been the quicker of the troika? Or could Leclerc, who had a stupendous, if also a hectic, long stint on hard compounds, managed to say clear off Kimi Antonelli on Lap 47 had he not pitted when he did? We really don’t know.
It’s anybody’s call.
But truth be told, they say victory belongs to the one who perseveres.
And Antonelli, quite frankly, never seemed even a touch bothered despite being second for much of his Madring Grand Prix with Leclerc at one point seeming in full control of the proceedings as the race leader.
Despite Leclerc giving it his all, maintaining the gap between his obdurate Ferrari and the rapidly advancing Mercedes to the nearabouts of between a second and 1.5 secs, the track position was always poised to go the way of the car with fresher rubber.
Which was Antonelli, who by midway stage had pitted and rightly so.
Antonelli did manage his tyres really well, seldom looking under pressure even as the gap to the then race leader was 1.5 seconds with just ten laps to follow.
And when it most mattered, with Leclerc pitting towards the end of lap 47, it was but the Italian driver and his German car’s time to rule.
Another race and another dominant win for the man, sorry boy, who we ought to remember is contesting in just his second season in Formula 1.
But this was no ordinary triumph, to be fair.
Not only has the winner of Formula 1’s first-ever Madrid Grand Prix extended his championship lead to 292 points, the young Italian once again demonstrated the clinical precision and maturity that belie his age.
Rather strikingly, Kimi’s 25 points in the end also helped Mercedes waltz past the 500-point tally, their overall standing being # 1 and next to 503 points.
With Baku up next but in a fortnight’s time, it gives an opportunity to the grid to give itself some rest and some think before the grind or should one say, normal service resumes in the form of yet another Mercedes win?
