Whenever a crack of daylight appears in the Formula One title race, Kimi Antonelli seems to slam it shut. Just as the prospect of a genuine world championship battle begins to emerge, the Italian finds a way to snuff it out.
His latest display of that championship-clinching instinct came in Madrid, where Antonelli won a race that appeared to be slipping well beyond his reach.
Lando Norris was the man left to rue his luck, finishing third behind Max Verstappen. The Briton had controlled the Spanish Grand Prix at the capital’s gleaming new circuit, converting a superb pole position into a lead of more than six seconds over the 20-year-old Antonelli within the opening 15 laps.
McLaren’s upgraded car is plainly quick, underlining how well Andrea Stella’s technically astute and methodical team has interpreted the demands of Formula One’s new regulations.
Norris looked set for his third victory in four races, driving with considerably more assurance than Antonelli, who ran off track at least twice while trying to keep hold of second. Then the race turned decisively in the championship leader’s favour.
The pivotal moment arrived when Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin hit the wall, with his brakes seemingly overheated. A virtual safety car was deployed, but Norris had already passed the pit-lane entry. Antonelli had not. He was summoned for a stop and benefited from the reduced-speed conditions while Stroll’s damaged car was removed.
Kimi Antonelli celebrates on the podium after claiming a victory that had appeared unlikely
A timely slice of fortune helped the Italian tighten his grip on the world championship
Lando Norris had led comfortably before a costly error during his tyre change
A lap later, Norris was brought in for fresh tyres, only for McLaren’s stop to drag on for a painful 7.0 seconds. It was a costly shambles. The world champion rejoined in fifth, 13 seconds behind Antonelli. In Formula One, fortunes can change in an instant.
Norris’s chances were extinguished in that brief phase of the race, and it is the Italian who is edging by degrees towards the world title at the youngest age ever, even eclipsing the then 23-year-old Sebastian Vettel. And this in only his second season.
Before us, the truths of Formula One are being redrawn. The old verity that experience counts and you must bide your time is being ripped up as never before.
Antonelli has won eight times this campaign, including unforgettably at Monza a week ago in front of his home crowd. He was cheered and rhapsodised, though his success was in a way only compensation for the partisans after Ferrari performed disappointingly.
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He has also gained from the affection and favours of his Mercedes team, from boss Toto Wolff down (my assertion, which they deny). Poor George Russell is hardly the chosen one there. But, it has to be admitted, that in all racing teams love is lavished on the faster of every given pair, and that character is the man-child called Kimi. Russell has won just twice in 2026.
Mercedes believe they have found their star, their future, and who can say they are wrong? Antonelli certainly looks unbeatable this season. The arithmetic supports the assertion. His lead over Russell, who finished fifth, is 81 points with nine rounds remaining.
As for Norris? He is 106 points adrift, which leaves him with an uphill task almost as steep as the North Ridge of Everest.
And Lewis Hamilton, who retired six laps in with brake problems, is barely better placed 101 off the summit. Ferrari are too error-prone and Hamilton is not quite as good as he once was – though he is admittedly rejuvenated this season compared to last – and it will be tough for him to scale the eighth world title he wants to leave as his lifetime’s mark.
He clashed with Verstappen on the opening lap. Verstappen passed Hamilton and clawed his way into second place. ‘He has to give the place back,’ implored the Briton.
Verstappen countered: ‘He was out of control.’
Red Bull told Verstappen to yield. He has never been known to pull out of an arm wrestle, and he gave his race engineer and pal Gianpiero Lambiase a blast of industrial language. ‘Mate, what the f*** are you guys going on about? We would have shunted.’
After the tough talk, he yielded. But, in a boring race, pretty much devoid of overtaking, Verstappen did hand the place back. But soon Hamilton was plummeting down the field with his technical problems.
‘I hit the brake, the car started stopping and then the pedal took a step and, all of a sudden, the car didn’t decelerate as fast as it would normally,’ explained Hamilton.
Charles Leclerc got the other Ferrari home in fourth place, having led for a long period prior to his late stop. Antonelli resumed the lead, coming home 4.3sec ahead of runner-up Verstappen. Norris harried his pal to the line, just 0.7sec back, in taking the final podium place.
The last words here centre on Antonelli. ‘Beautiful work, an absolute masterclass,’ eulogised Peter Bonnington, his race engineer.
‘Bono’, once the voice in Hamilton’s ear during his glory days, is chivvying his new student all the way to what now seems to be an inevitable title a few months out of his teens.