Kimi Antonelli won the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix at an all-new street track in Madrid after bad luck struck race leader Lando Norris, who qualified first and led at the start.The result further expands Antonelli’s lead in the championship over Mercedes teammate and chief rival George Russell, from 66 points to 81, with nine more races to go this season.Antonelli, who turned 20 last month, is well-positioned to become the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history.Ever since Mercedes built the strongest car in the new era of F1 this year, he has consistently outperformed the 28-year-old Russell, who began the season as the betting-odds favorite for the title.In Madrid on Sunday, Antonelli inherited the lead from Norris after taking advantage of an ill-timed “virtual safety car” for the McLaren driver.
Norris finished third, behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, his championship rival last year.“It’s good to win, but it doesn’t feel as good.I think Lando today deserved the win,” Antonelli said in a post-race interview.
“But overall, we’ll take it.”The Italian, racing in his second F1 season, insisted he wasn’t thinking about the title and had no plans to let his foot off the gas.“That’s exactly what I don’t want to do,” Antonelli said.“I want to keep pushing, race by race.
Keep delivering, keep enjoying all the way, and trying to do my best every race.And then we’ll see where we end up at the end of the year.”Andrea Kimi Antonelli driving the Mercedes on track Sunday in Madrid, ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen and McLaren's Lando Norris.Clive Mason / Getty ImagesNorris, the reigning Formula 1 world champion, controlled the race at the start as Antonelli and Verstappen had excursions off track and had to give up positions.
They settled back into second and third place after Lewis Hamilton retired with what a Ferrari official called a brake system issue.But in a twist of bad luck, Norris lost the lead due to an ill-timed “v...