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Antonelli Wins First Grand Prix as Norris Loses Out Under VSC
Confirmed
In Short: Kimi Antonelli secured his first Formula 1 victory at the Madrid Grand Prix, benefiting from a virtual safety car and a McLaren pit stop mistake, while Lando Norris finished third.
Kimi Antonelli clinched his first Formula 1 victory at the Madrid Grand Prix, capitalizing on a virtual safety car and a McLaren pit stop mistake that cost polesitter Lando Norris the win.
Norris stayed out during the virtual safety car period, but was called in as the VSC ended, losing valuable time and ultimately finishing third.
Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton gambled on the red-walled soft tires from the second row, while Norris and Antonelli started on mediums. Verstappen kept the position on Hamilton, arguing he had to take evasive action due to Hamilton's driving.
Antonelli immediately gave the place back to Norris, who was leading the race. Norris was more than six seconds clear with everything seemingly under control when Aston Martin's Lance Stroll triggered the virtual safety car by stopping on track.
The Mercedes championship leader, Antonelli, pulled five seconds clear of Norris by lap 10, with Verstappen 11 seconds back and Charles Leclerc and George Russell further adrift.
Norris was called in right when the VSC period ended, losing the lead to Antonelli. Despite a strong start, Norris's pit stop was poorly timed, costing him the victory.
After the race, Antonelli said, 'I feel like I drove a perfect race today, just luck wasn’t with me.' He twice had to give the lead back to Norris on the opening lap after going off and gaining an advantage in a battle through the opening corners.
What's confirmed
- Kimi Antonelli clinched his first Formula 1 victory at the Madrid Grand Prix, capitalizing on a virtual safety car and a McLaren pit stop mistake that cost polesitter Lando Norris the win.
- Norris stayed out during the virtual safety car period, but was called in as the VSC ended, losing valuable time and ultimately finishing third.
- Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton gambled on the red-walled soft tires from the second row, while Norris and Antonelli started on mediums. Verstappen kept the position on Hamilton, arguing he had to take evasive action due to Hamilton's driving.
- Antonelli immediately gave the place back to Norris, who was leading the race. Norris was more than six seconds clear with everything seemingly under control when Aston Martin's Lance Stroll triggered the virtual safety car by stopping on track.
- The Mercedes championship leader, Antonelli, pulled five seconds clear of Norris by lap 10, with Verstappen 11 seconds back and Charles Leclerc and George Russell further adrift.
- Norris was called in right when the VSC period ended, losing the lead to Antonelli. Despite a strong start, Norris's pit stop was poorly timed, costing him the victory.
- After the race, Antonelli said, 'I feel like I drove a perfect race today, just luck wasn’t with me.' He twice had to give the lead back to Norris on the opening lap after going off and gaining an advantage in a battle through the opening corners.
What's still developing
- “The VSC was after I passed pit entry, there was nothing I could do,” Norris said.
- Oscar Piastri, whose qualifying he called “pretty shocking,” finished eighth after front-wing damage from contact with Russell at the start and never matched Norris’s pace.
- Verstappen staunchly argued that he’d had to take evasive action due to Hamilton’s unruly driving, but Red Bull was adamant he should make sure to avoid a penalty, so Verstappen let Antonelli – whom he was now leading – and Hamilton by on lap four.
- “I didn’t touch the wall, but the steering feels weird,” Antonelli told his engineers.
- At that stage, it was extremely clear that Ferrari was delaying Leclerc’s sole pitstop in the hope of a safety car – virtual or not – but there was none, and the Monegasque pitted on lap 48.
- Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Lando Norris, McLaren After a qualifying performance he himself described as “pretty shocking”, Oscar Piastri ended up eighth in a race where he sustained front wing damage straight away due to contact with Russell at the start.
- Kimi Antonelli has moved a mighty step closer to the Formula One title after winning the first Spanish Grand Prix held at Madrid’s new circuit with a slice of luck on the side.
- Antonelli benefited from a well-timed virtual safety car (VSC) and a calamitous McLaren pit stop on lap 16 of 57 that robbed pole-sitter and early leader Lando Norris of a likely win on a track where overtaking proved almost impossible.