Spanish GP: Antonelli clinches eighth season win in Madrid to extend F1 title gap

Madrid, Sep 14 (IANS) F1 title leader Kimi Antonelli further extended his gap in the drivers’ standings after winning the first-ever Madring race here on Sunday.

The Mercedes driver took the chequered flag first as he outclassed Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and pole-sitter Lando Norris in a race that was decided by strategy.

Antonelli, who started second on the grid, cut two corners in the opening exchanges of the 57-lap race in Madrid in his attempt to go past Norris, who held a narrow lead.

However, Antonelli received a shot in the arm when he got the perfect window to stop during a Virtual Safety Car after Aston Martin’s Stroll retired his car due to brake issues. Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton was also forced to retire his car in the opening exchanges due to brake issues.

While Antonelli, teammate George Russell, and Max Verstappen pitted during the VSC, Norris could not enter the pits during the window. To make matters worse, the Briton had a lengthy pit stop for the change of tyres and rejoined the grid at P5, with Charles Leclerc leading after delaying his pit stop from Antonelli, Verstappen and Russell.

Leclerc led for the majority of the race but did not make a mandatory tyre-switch stop, waiting for a red flag or a Safety car to box, which ultimately did not happen, and he went to the pits at the end of lap 48.

Antonelli then made a gap to Verstappen and Norris, who tried to pass the Dutchman and had a chance in the final few laps when Verstappen cut Turn 5. He drew alongside Verstappen but could not make a move, settling for third behind Antonelli and Verstappen.

Leclerc settled for fourth, while Russell came home fifth as Antonelli has taken the drivers’ gap to 81 points now. Behind Russell, Liam Lawson impressed with a sixth-placed finish in his third outing with Red Bull in the injury-forced absence of Isack Hadjar.

Franco Colapinto took seventh, ahead of second McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, while Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad was ninth ahead of Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg to wrap up the top 10 and the point-scorers.

–IANS

vm/vi