Kimi Antonelli strengthened his Formula 1 championship bid with victory at the Spanish Grand Prix, finishing ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and McLaren’s Lando Norris in a race heavily influenced by strategy. Norris started from pole and initially maintained the lead despite intense pressure from Antonelli, who went off……
Kimi Antonelli strengthened his Formula 1 championship bid with victory at the Spanish Grand Prix, finishing ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and McLaren’s Lando Norris in a race heavily influenced by strategy.
Norris started from pole and initially maintained the lead despite intense pressure from Antonelli, who went off track twice while attempting to find a way past the McLaren driver during the opening laps.
The Mercedes driver eventually moved into a winning position without completing an on-track pass, as a Virtual Safety Car period worked in his favour and changed the complexion of the race.
The contrasting fortunes continued during the pit stops, with Antonelli gaining the effective race lead while a slow stop compromised Norris and left him behind both Antonelli and Verstappen.
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Antonelli later expressed concerns about his steering, but retained control of the race after Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who had stayed out during the Virtual Safety Car, finally entered the pits on lap 48 after his hopes of a full Safety Car period faded.
The victory marked Antonelli’s eighth win of the season and extended his lead in the Drivers’ Championship to 81 points.
His Mercedes teammate George Russell finished fifth, while Lewis Hamilton retired early after experiencing a brake problem.
