Antonelli takes inaugural Madrid Grand Prix victory as Hamilton retires

Kimi Antonelli claimed his eighth victory of the season at the inaugural Madrid Grand Prix to cement a commanding 81-point advantage over Mercedes team mate George Russell in the drivers’ standings.

The rest of the field is now more than 100 points adrift of the championship leader. The Italian capitalised on a poorly timed Virtual Safety Car that derailed Lando Norris‘s race to win ahead of Red Bull‘s Max Verstappen and the McLaren driver.

Norris defends, Antonelli cuts across the chicane and Piastri and Russell make contact! 🤯 Here is how the race start unfolded in Madrid 👇 #F1 #SpanishGP https://t.co/qZFtORJG6b

— Formula 1 (@F1) September 13, 2026

The tight confines of the new Madring street circuit immediately sparked drama as the lights went out. Pole-sitter Norris retained his lead but Antonelli and Verstappen both cut the apex at Turn 1 while battling for position. Further back George Russell and Oscar Piastri made contact that destroyed the McLaren’s front wing end-plate while Carlos Sainz and Yuki Tsunoda also banged wheels.

Read more: Antonelli storms from 19th to historic Monza victory in Mercedes thriller

The most significant early casualty was Lewis Hamilton. After starting fourth on soft tyres the Ferrari driver suffered a catastrophic brake failure by lap five. He rapidly plummeted down the order and received a black and white flag for track limits as he struggled to slow his car. Hamilton managed to limp back to the pits but was forced to retire on lap nine.

📻 "I can barely stop the car" Lewis Hamilton has now been called into the pits due to his brake problem, and he retires from the race ❌ #F1 #SpanishGP | LAP 7/57 https://t.co/MMDosAY7xp

— Formula 1 (@F1) September 13, 2026

VSC heartbreak for Norris

Norris had built a comfortable lead of over six seconds by lap 14 when Lance Stroll parked his broken Aston Martin down an escape road. The resulting Virtual Safety Car prompted Antonelli and Verstappen to dive into the pits for fresh rubber.

⚠️ VIRTUAL SAFETY CAR ⚠️ Lance Stroll has stopped at Turn 20 with a brake issue 😳 Antonelli, Verstappen and Russell head to the pit lane 👀 #F1 #SpanishGP | LAP 15/57 https://t.co/O2qbcdVdV4

— Formula 1 (@F1) September 13, 2026

Norris missed the pit entry just as the VSC was deployed and was forced to pit under full racing conditions on the following lap.

Read more: Lando Norris snatches Madring pole from Antonelli in qualifying chaos

When the VSC came in at just the wrong time! 😳 Here is the slow pit stop which ensued, costing Lando Norris the lead in Madrid 🔧 #F1 #SpanishGP https://t.co/AZ1ja47Ae0

— Formula 1 (@F1) September 13, 2026

To compound the British driver’s misery McLaren delivered a sluggish seven-second pit stop. The sequence dropped Norris down to fifth and handed the de facto lead to Antonelli.

Leclerc’s marathon stint

With the leaders pitting Charles Leclerc inherited the race lead. Ferrari opted for an audacious strategy by keeping the Monegasque driver out on his starting hard tyres for a staggering 49 laps. The gamble relied on a full Safety Car that never materialised despite several drivers scraping the walls and Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz joining Hamilton and Stroll on the retirement list.

Leclerc finally boxed for soft tyres on lap 49 and emerged in fourth place just ahead of Russell. The Mercedes driver had committed to a two-stop strategy and spent the closing stages questioning his team’s decision after failing to bridge the gap to the Ferrari.

Antonelli holds firm

Despite reporting a brush with the wall at Turn 7 in the dying laps Antonelli managed his ageing hard tyres perfectly to cross the line 4.3 seconds clear of Verstappen.

Norris hops over the chicane… 😲 But he gathers it up and continues with a 0.9s gap to Verstappen #F1 #SpanishGP | LAP 54/57 https://t.co/KwjeG8dQKP

— Formula 1 (@F1) September 13, 2026

Norris launched a desperate late assault on Verstappen for second place but a costly lock-up on lap 55 ultimately forced him to settle for the final step of the podium.

Norris suddenly puts the pressure on Verstappen who went deep at Turn 5! 😱 But Verstappen keeps the position for now 👀 #F1 #SpanishGP | LAP 56/57 https://t.co/nbGPioV9Fx

— Formula 1 (@F1) September 13, 2026

Leclerc successfully defended fourth from Russell while Liam Lawson secured an impressive sixth place for Red Bull ahead of Alpine’s Franco Colapinto.

Read more: Antonelli sets pace in Madrid FP3 as Hamilton and Bearman crash

Driver positions