Formula 1’s first race at the new Madring circuit delivered an eventful opening phase, an early Virtual Safety Car that disrupted the expected strategy and a late fight between Verstappen and Norris for second. Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, was forced to retire after developing a brake problem in his Ferrari.
Norris Leads a Chaotic Opening at Madring
Pirelli had identified a one-stop strategy as the fastest route before the race, with drivers expected to start on the medium compound before switching to the hard tyre between laps 18 and 24.
Oliver Bearman faced a different challenge from the outset. Following his accident on Saturday, the Briton was required to start the Spanish GP from the pit lane.
When the five red lights went out, polesitter Norris held the lead into the opening corner, but the first sequence of turns immediately produced trouble behind him.
Antonelli and Verstappen both cut the chicane, while Antonelli continued his fight with Norris for the lead and again ran across the chicane during their wheel-to-wheel battle.
The Mercedes driver subsequently dropped a position, initially promoting Verstappen to second.
That order did not last.
Red Bull instructed Verstappen to return positions to Antonelli and Hamilton following the opening-lap incidents, dropping the four-time World Champion back to fourth.
Norris remained at the front, with Antonelli now established as his closest challenger.
Hamilton’s Spanish GP Unravels
Hamilton’s afternoon had already become complicated after he reported contact with the wall and asked Ferrari to inspect the rear of his car.
A more serious problem soon emerged.
The seven-time World Champion reported an issue with his brake pedal and rapidly began losing pace. Verstappen passed the slowing Ferrari to reclaim third before Charles Leclerc also moved ahead of his teammate.
Hamilton then failed to slow the car sufficiently and ran into an escape road.
Although he returned to the circuit, his pace continued to deteriorate. After falling to the back of the field, Ferrari called him into the garage and retired the car.
His first Formula 1 race at Madring was over.
Virtual Safety Car Changes the Strategy
At the front, Norris began building his advantage with a sequence of fastest laps while the stewards noted Oscar Piastri for a possible yellow-flag infringement.
The complexion of the race changed on lap 14.
Lance Stroll suffered a brake problem and stopped his Aston Martin off the circuit, triggering yellow flags and subsequently a Virtual Safety Car.
The timing proved costly for Norris.
After the VSC ended and the McLaren completed its delayed stop, Norris emerged only fifth. Leclerc, who had stayed out, inherited the lead, while Antonelli’s stop placed the Mercedes driver second.
The original one-stop calculations had been disrupted, and the Spanish GP had effectively become a strategic contest between drivers running different tyre programmes.
Elsewhere, Carlos Sainz received a five-second penalty following his battle with Fernando Alonso.
Antonelli Moves Into Position
The middle phase of the race settled considerably, but the order continued to evolve through pit strategy.
Sergio Perez’s afternoon ended on lap 33 when Cadillac instructed him to return to the pits and retire the car.
Norris, meanwhile, began recovering the positions lost around the Virtual Safety Car. A successful move on George Russell promoted the McLaren driver to fourth and brought him back towards the podium positions.
Franco Colapinto was noted for leaving the circuit and gaining an advantage, while Piastri completed his stop as the strategies began to converge.
Leclerc remained out front significantly longer than the leading contenders.
With 10 laps remaining, Ferrari finally brought him in and fitted a set of soft tyres. He returned to the circuit in fourth.
The stop handed the lead to Antonelli.
Now there was no strategic offset left to protect. The Mercedes driver simply had to bring the race home.
Antonelli Wins Formula 1’s First Spanish Grand Prix at Madrid
While Antonelli controlled the final phase at the front, the main battle developed behind him.
Verstappen and Norris fought closely over second place in the closing laps, with the McLaren applying sustained pressure but unable to find a way through.
Antonelli remained clear of the fight.
After 57 laps around Madring, the Mercedes driver crossed the line to become the winner of Formula 1’s inaugural Madrid Grand Prix.
Verstappen resisted Norris to secure second, while the polesitter completed the podium in third after a race shaped heavily by the timing of the Virtual Safety Car.
Leclerc recovered to fourth after his late stop, with Russell fifth and Liam Lawson sixth. Colapinto finished seventh ahead of Piastri, while Arvid Lindblad and Nico Hülkenberg completed the top 10.
For Antonelli, Madrid delivered another victory in a breakthrough 2026 campaign. For Formula 1, its first afternoon at Madring provided exactly the variables expected from an unknown circuit: track-position battles, strategic uncertainty and a race that changed direction well before the final stint.
Watch the 2026 Spanish GP highlights here.
