Andrea Kimi Antonelli, the current leader of the Formula 1 championship, admitted that Lando Norris “deserved to win” the Spanish Grand Prix, despite Antonelli securing a somewhat lucky victory in Madrid. Antonelli benefitted from the timing of a virtual safety car, which allowed him to pit from second place and save critical time, while Norris missed an opportunity to make a pit stop under favorable conditions.
When Norris finally pitted, the race had resumed normal green flag status, and to make things worse, he had a slow pit stop that dropped him down to fifth place. The British driver managed to climb back to third but couldn’t overtake Antonelli’s Mercedes or Max Verstappen’s Red Bull due to limited passing chances at the Madring circuit.
Following the race, Antonelli recognized that his eighth win of the remarkable 2026 season was one of his luckier ones. “Winning is great, but to be honest, we didn’t really deserve it today,” he said. “Lando was the one who should have won, and realistically, we probably should have finished second or third. I wasn’t sharp enough at the start—I was maybe too aggressive and ended up in a poor position. There’s definitely room for improvement, but overall, things went well and I’m happy. We’ll aim to do better in Baku.”
With Mercedes teammate and closest championship rival George Russell finishing only fifth, Antonelli now holds a commanding 81-point lead in the standings. Despite his dominant form, the 20-year-old Italian remains grounded and is not yet thinking about becoming F1’s youngest-ever world champion this year. “That’s exactly what I don’t want to focus on,” Antonelli said when asked about the title race. “I want to take it race by race, keep enjoying the process, and give my best every time. We’ll see where we stand at the end of the year.”
Fan Take:
This outcome highlights the unpredictable nature of Formula 1, where strategy and timing can be just as crucial as outright speed. Fans should be excited—not only does Antonelli’s talent shine through, but Norris’ strong performance promises a thrilling battle to keep the championship alive and engaging throughout the season.
Source: www.crash.net
