MADRID.- The leader of Worldthe Italian Kimi Antonelli (mercedes), won this Sunday the Spanish Grand Prix of Formula 1 in the new Madring from the Spanish capital, increasing their advantage at the head of the championship.
Antonelli won the first F1 race held at the new Madrid circuit, ahead of the Dutchman Max Verstappen (Red Bull) and English Lando Norris (McLaren), who had started from pole position, but ended up relegated after a bad strategy by his team.
The current world champion was comfortably leading until the intervention of the virtual safety car (VSC) on lap 15.
While Antonelli and Verstappen immediately entered the pits to change tires, McLaren kept Norris on the track for one more lap.
As he prepared to enter, the VSC ended, causing him to lose time to his rivals with a slow seven-second pit stop.
By the time he returned to the track, Norris had fallen to fifth position, with Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), which had not yet stopped, and George Russell (mercedes) also ahead of him.
He managed to overtake Russell and moved into third when Leclerc, who had been leading for more than half the race, finally pitted on lap 48 of 57, at which point the lead passed to Antonelli, who strolled to the finish line to receive the checkered flag.
Antonelli continues as leader of the World with 81 points ahead of his closest rival, Russell, who was fifth, behind Leclerc.
Russell suffered greatly from his team’s decision to use a two-stop strategy – the only one among the favorites to follow it – which ruined his chances of reaching the podium and left him even further behind his teammate in the title fight.
The seven-time English world champion, Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari), had to abandon on the 7th lap due to a problem with the brakes.
Rest of the “top 10”
The top 10 was completed by the Argentine Franco Colanpinto (Alpine), the Australian Oscar Piastri (McLaren), the British Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) and German Nico Hulkenberg (Audi).
The Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) finished in 13th place.
The Spanish Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) finished 17th, while his compatriot Carlos Sainz (Williams) had to abandon, like the Mexican Sergio ‘Checo’ Pérez (cadillac).
