Kimi Antonelli moved a mighty step closer to the Formula One title on Sunday after winning the first Spanish Grand Prix held at Madrid’s new circuit with a slice of luck on the side.
The 20-year-old Italian’s Madring victory, his eighth win of the season, stretched his championship lead to 81 points after 14 rounds.
Antonelli benefited from a well-timed virtual safety car (VSC) and calamitous McLaren pitstop 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.
“I think today it’s good to win but it doesn’t feel as good
because I think Lando today deserved the win but overall, we
take it,” said Antonelli.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was second with Norris third.
Antonelli now has 292 points to closest rival and teammate
George Russell, who finished fifth, on 211.
“There was nothing I could do… just luck not on our side,”
said Norris. “I felt like we deserved it today but that’s racing
sometimes.
“I feel like I drove a perfect race today, just luck wasn’t
with me.”
Antonelli twice had to give the lead back to Norris on the
opening lap after going off and gaining advantage in a battle
through the opening corners but the Briton then settled into a
rhythm and began to pull away.
Verstappen also gained a place that he had to hand back to
Antonelli and lost and gained position to Ferrari’s Lewis
Hamilton, who then suffered a brake problem that eventually
forced the seven-time world champion to retire.
Norris was more than six seconds clear with everything
seemingly under control when Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll
triggered the VSC by stopping on track on lap 14.
Antonelli, Verstappen and Russell all came in for a cheap
pitstop but Norris was unable to do so, having already gone past
the entry point, and by the time he came around again the VSC
had ended.
McLaren called him in anyway on lap 16 for a switch to hard
tyres but he was stopped for seven seconds and returned to the
track in fifth place but effectively fourth with new leader
Charles Leclerc, who ended up fourth for Ferrari, yet to stop.
That proved the defining moment, with the remainder of the
afternoon effectively a high-speed procession to the chequered
flag without major incident — despite fears that there could be
multiple crashes and red flags as seen in earlier junior races.
Antonelli crossed the line 4.3 seconds clear of Verstappen
with Norris a further 0.7 behind.
Liam Lawson was sixth for Red Bull with Franco Colapinto
seventh for Renault-owned Alpine and Mclaren’s Oscar Piastri
eighth.
Arvid Lindblad secured precious points for Racing Bulls in
their battle for fifth with Alpine and Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg
was the final scorer in 10th.
Source: Khaleej Times