Formula 1® Spain Recap – Bad Luck Snatches Victory from McLaren as Teams Return to Madrid
September 14, 2026
Challenges marked the FORMULA 1® TAG HEUER GRAN PREMIO DE ESPAÑA 2026 in Madrid, Spain, last weekend, as driver substitutions continued, mechanical problems surfaced, and Kimi Antonelli again emerged victorious on a new track.
It was the first time in Formula 1® history that the 3.35-mile-long track, known as the “Madring,” was utilized, and it was unique in more ways than one. Some 43% of the track is corners, and 10% of the entire track is one 550-meter, 13º banked curve called “La Monumental.” Formula 1® describes the track as aligning “with the new concept of the show-circuit, in the style of Abu Dhabi, Miami and Las Vegas, where the event itself goes beyond the limits of the track and permeates the city.”
Drivers spent significant time in simulators to learn the new track and picked up lessons along the way. Later, at the track itself, drivers came to appreciate the smooth, relatively grippy surface provided by the fresh pavement.
As in the previous races in the Netherlands and Monza, Red Bull Racing driver Isack Hadjar couldn't drive due to a wrist injury, and Racing Bulls driver Lawson was reassigned to his car. Red Bull test and reserve driver Yuki Tsunoda once again filled in for Lawson.
FREE PRACTICE
Facing a brand-new track that no one had driven in real life, teams and drivers alike were thankful for a traditional race weekend format with three practice sessions to learn the track and develop car setup accordingly. Had this been a sprint weekend, a single free practice session would have compressed and rushed the process significantly.
Session one progressed with minimal drama. Early on, tire graining was mentioned as a concern, and Tsunoda abandoned the session with 14 minutes remaining due to steering issues. FP2 brought misfortune to Lindblad when, with 24 minutes remaining, he slid into a wall.
FP3 claimed both Bearman and Hamilton. While Hamilton’s contact with the wall was relatively light thanks to encountering Tecpro barriers rather than a concrete wall. With his front wing crumpled beneath his front right tire, he attempted to limp the car back to the pits, only to pull off and abandon it elsewhere on the track.
RACE QUALIFICATION
A new track promised an interesting qualification, and sharp traffic management was key as teams tried to stay out of each other’s way. Although both Ferraris had upgraded engines at Monza, Leclerc’s crash there gave the team concern about his engine’s durability amid potentially unseen damage. Leclerc therefore reverted to his previous engine, giving him a power deficit against Hamilton. Despite this, he would go on to finish behind Hamilton by four hundredths of a second at most, and by only one thousandth of a second in Q1.
Q1 claimed both Aston Martins, both Cadillacs, Sainz, and Bearman. Q2 claimed both Audis, Ocon, Gasly, Tsunoda, and Albon. Alpine’s impressive qualification performance continued into Q3 as Colapinto claimed P9. He was followed by Lindblad.
Ultimately, Lando Norris would finish on Pole, followed by Antonelli, Verstappen, Hamilton, Leclerc, Russell, Piastri, and Lawson.
RACE
On race day, the field managed the start well. Drama was limited to Verstappen abandoning turn two, cutting across the shoulder, and later having to give back the position he'd secured to Hamilton.
Hamilton would experience his own difficulties several laps later, however, when he reported brake issues with his pedal going long. Unable to brake effectively, he was forced to exit the track into an overrun zone and abandon the race entirely on lap six. This would ultimately drop him to only five points ahead of Lando Norris in the Drivers’ Championship standings.
More action occurred on lap 14, when Stroll slid into a wall. While Stroll’s abandonment of the race was notable, the pivotal moment occurred when the virtual safety car was activated mere seconds after race leader Norris passed the pit entry. This prevented him from benefiting from a “cheap” pit stop under the virtual safety car, while Antonelli and Verstappen took advantage of it. This robbed them of less time than Norris’ later pit stop, sending them ahead despite Norris’ fast pace.
Antonelli would maintain his lead all the way to the end of the race. Keeping close gaps of one second from each other, he, Verstappen, and Norris finished in that order, extending their lead to over 25 seconds over the rest of the field.
FINAL STANDINGS
- Antonelli
- Verstappen
- Norris
- Leclerc
- Russell
- Lawson
- Colapinto
- Piastri
- Lindblad
- Hülkenberg
- Ocon
- Gasly
- Bortoleto
- Tsunoda
- Albon
- Bearman
- Alonso
- Bottas (+1 lap)
- Sainz (DNF)
- Perez (DNF)
- Stroll (DNF)
- Hamilton (DNF)
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