Kimi Antonelli has done it again.
Just one week after producing one of the most remarkable comeback victories of the 2026 Formula 1 season at Monza, the Mercedes driver has won again, this time in Madrid at the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix held at the new Madring circuit.
It was Antonelli's eighth victory of the season and his second in a row. More importantly, it extended his advantage at the top of the Drivers' Championship to 81 points over Mercedes team-mate George Russell.
Antonelli completed the 57-lap race in 1:34:23.754, finishing 4.351 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen and 5.089 seconds ahead of Lando Norris. Charles Leclerc was fourth and Russell fifth.
The result is another reminder that Antonelli is not relying on one particular type of race to collect victories. Monza was a spectacular charge from nineteenth on the grid. Madrid was much more about timing, tyre management and making the right strategic decision when the opportunity appeared.

Madrid was won differently from Monza

The contrast between Antonelli's last two victories is probably the most interesting part of the story.
At Monza, he started nineteenth after a power-unit penalty and fought his way through the field in front of the Italian fans. He eventually defeated Russell after a dramatic final phase and completed the race with 26 recorded overtakes.
That victory also ended a 60-year wait for an Italian driver to win the Italian Grand Prix, following Ludovico Scarfiotti's 1966 success.
Madrid was much more controlled.
Antonelli started second behind Norris and remained close to the McLaren during the early stages. The decisive moment came when the Virtual Safety Car created an opportunity for Mercedes to stop under favourable conditions.
Mercedes reacted immediately.
Norris did not receive the same strategic benefit and eventually lost the net lead after his pit stop. Once Charles Leclerc, who had led for part of the race, finally made his stop, Antonelli inherited first place.
From there, the Mercedes driver simply had to manage the race.

Norris had the pole and the pace, but lost the advantage

The qualifying session had been extremely close.
Norris took pole position with a lap of 1:31.824, beating Antonelli by only 0.011 seconds. Verstappen was third, followed by Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.
It looked like McLaren had a strong chance of controlling the race.
Norris kept the lead at the start and appeared comfortable during the opening phase. Antonelli stayed close enough to remain involved, but there was no obvious sign that the Mercedes would simply pass the McLaren and take control.
Instead, strategy decided the race.
The Virtual Safety Car allowed Mercedes and Red Bull to make relatively cheap pit stops, while Norris was unable to exploit the situation in the same way. His eventual stop came under less favourable circumstances and changed the order.
It was one of those Formula 1 races where a few minutes of timing had a bigger impact than outright qualifying pace.
Antonelli took the opportunity and did what he needed to do afterwards.

Even Antonelli admitted Norris had been very strong

One of the more revealing moments came after the chequered flag.
Antonelli did not pretend that Madrid had been a straightforward victory. Speaking after the race, he described the Grand Prix as difficult and emphasised how much attention had to be paid to tyre management.
He also acknowledged that Norris had been extremely competitive and said that, in his view, the McLaren driver deserved the win.
That does not diminish Antonelli's achievement. If anything, it provides a useful picture of how the race unfolded.
Winning a Grand Prix is not always about having the fastest car at every moment. Sometimes it means being ready when circumstances change, making the right call and then having the discipline to protect the advantage.
Antonelli did all three.

Eight wins and 292 points

The numbers behind Antonelli's season are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
After fourteen completed Grands Prix, the Mercedes driver has eight victories and 292 points.
George Russell is second with 211, followed by Lewis Hamilton on 191, Lando Norris on 186 and Charles Leclerc on 167. Max Verstappen is sixth with 145.
That gives Antonelli an 81-point advantage over his closest championship rival.
Mercedes also lead the Constructors' Championship with 503 points, ahead of Ferrari on 358 and McLaren on 306.
There is still plenty of racing left, so the championship is not mathematically decided. But the points situation has clearly become one of the defining stories of the 2026 season.

Madrid gives Antonelli another piece of history

The victory also gives Antonelli a distinction that nobody else can claim: he is the first Formula 1 winner at the new Madring circuit.
The Madrid track joined the calendar in 2026 and presented a completely different challenge from Monza. The circuit placed a premium on tyre management and track position, with overtaking proving more difficult than at some of the traditional venues.
That made the strategic element even more important.
Norris had the initial advantage. Leclerc led for a significant part of the race. Mercedes found the right moment to stop Antonelli. Verstappen remained close enough to create pressure.
At the end, however, it was the young Italian who stood on top of the podium.

Ferrari leave Madrid with mixed feelings

Ferrari had a very different kind of weekend.
Charles Leclerc finished fourth after spending a significant portion of the race near the front. He even led for a long stretch, but his later pit stop meant he could not maintain the advantage once Mercedes and Red Bull had completed their strategic moves.
Lewis Hamilton had an even more difficult afternoon and retired because of a brake problem.
Ferrari remain second in the Constructors' standings, but Mercedes have opened a substantial gap.

The Drivers' Championship after Madrid

Position Driver Team Points
1 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 292
2 George Russell Mercedes 211
3 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 191
4 Lando Norris McLaren 186
5 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 167
6 Max Verstappen Red Bull 145
7 Oscar Piastri McLaren 120
8 Isack Hadjar Red Bull 71
9 Liam Lawson Red Bull 59
10 Pierre Gasly Alpine 41

The next stop is Azerbaijan, with the Baku weekend scheduled for September 24-26.
Antonelli will arrive there with two consecutive victories behind him and a championship advantage that gives Mercedes plenty of breathing room, even though the season is far from over.

From the streets of Monza to the streets of Madrid

Perhaps the easiest way to understand Antonelli's current season is to look at the last two Sundays.
At Monza, he came from nineteenth and attacked the field.
At Madrid, he waited.
At Monza, the race was about overtaking, recovery and an emotional home victory.
At Madrid, it was about patience, strategy and controlling the final stages.
The destination was identical.
First place.
That is what makes the current Antonelli story so interesting. He is not winning races in one single way, and his latest victory shows that he can also benefit from the strategic side of Formula 1 without losing his composure once he reaches the front.
For readers who want to go back to the extraordinary Monza weekend, the previous in-depth article covered his nineteenth-to-first comeback and the 26 overtakes that helped make that victory one of the defining moments of his season.

Kimi Antonelli at Monza 2026: the P19 comeback and 26 overtakes
READ THE PREVIOUS MONZA FEATURE
https://www.commentalanotizia.com/2026/09/kimi-antonelli-monza-2026-vittoria-19-sorpassi.html

Now the attention moves to Baku.
Eight wins, 292 points and an 81-point championship advantage later, Kimi Antonelli is heading into the next chapter of the 2026 season with momentum firmly on his side.

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