News Summary
- Kimi Antonelli won the Spanish GP and increased his championship total from 267 to 292 points.
- George Russell remains second on 211, leaving Antonelli with an 81-point championship lead after 14 rounds.
- Lewis Hamilton stays third on 191 despite retiring, but Lando Norris closes to within 5 points after finishing third in Madrid.
Kimi Antonelli has opened an 81-point lead in the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship after winning Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix at Madring.
The Mercedes driver arrived in Madrid 66 points clear of team-mate George Russell and added another 15 points to that advantage during the inaugural race at the new circuit.
Antonelli scored the maximum 25 points with his eighth victory of the season, taking his total from 267 to 292. Russell finished fifth and added 10 points, moving from 201 to 211.
It means the championship leader now has more than three race victories’ worth of points in hand over his closest rival with eight rounds remaining.
Antonelli’s latest success came only one week after his spectacular victory from 19th on the grid at Monza. After missing pole to Lando Norris by just 0.011s in Madrid, the Italian capitalised on the Virtual Safety Car and McLaren’s costly pit-stop sequence to win ahead of Max Verstappen and Norris.
Kimi Antonelli extended his F1 championship lead with victory at Madring (Photo: Mercedes)
Behind the Mercedes pair, the battle for third in the championship tightened considerably.
Lewis Hamilton remains third with 191 points, but the Ferrari driver failed to score after retiring early with a brake problem. Norris took 15 points for third and moved from 171 to 186, leaving him only 5 points behind Hamilton.
Charles Leclerc also made ground. Fourth place earned the Ferrari driver 12 points, taking him to 167, 19 behind Norris and 24 behind Hamilton.
Verstappen was one of the biggest beneficiaries of the Madrid weekend.
The Red Bull driver finished second to Antonelli and collected 18 points, increasing his total from 127 to 145. Although he remains sixth, Verstappen has reduced the gap to Leclerc to 22 points.
The top six therefore remain in the same championship order after Madrid, but the margins behind Antonelli have changed significantly.
With eight rounds remaining, Antonelli is therefore moving closer to a position where the championship permutations — rather than simply the points lead — will become central to the title fight.
Formula 1 now heads to Azerbaijan for the next round of the 2026 season.
Clasificación de F1 2026 tras el GP de España
| Pos. | Piloto | Equipo/Motor | Puntos | Diferencia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | K ANTONELLI | Mercedes | 292 | — |
| 2 | G RUSSELL | Mercedes | 211 | -81 |
| 3 | L HAMILTON | Ferrari | 191 | -101 |
| 4 | L NORRIS | McLaren Mercedes | 186 | -106 |
| 5 | C LECLERC | Ferrari | 167 | -125 |
| 6 | M VERSTAPPEN | Red Bull RBPT Ford | 145 | -147 |
| 7 | O PIASTRI | McLaren Mercedes | 120 | -172 |
| 8 | I HADJAR | Red Bull RBPT Ford | 71 | -221 |
| 9 | L LAWSON | Racing Bulls RBPT Ford | 59 | -233 |
| 10 | P GASLY | Alpine Mercedes | 41 | -251 |
| 11 | A LINDBLAD | Racing Bulls RBPT Ford | 31 | -261 |
| 12 | F COLAPINTO | Alpine Mercedes | 27 | -265 |
| 13 | O BEARMAN | Haas Ferrari | 18 | -274 |
| 14 | G BORTOLETO | Audi | 10 | -282 |
| 15 | N HÜLKENBERG | Audi | 7 | -285 |
| 16 | C SAINZ | Williams Mercedes | 6 | -286 |
| 17 | A ALBON | Williams Mercedes | 5 | -287 |
| 18 | E OCON | Haas Ferrari | 3 | -289 |
| 19 | F ALONSO | Aston Martin Honda | 3 | -289 |
| 20 | Y TSUNODA | Racing Bulls RBPT Ford | 1 | -291 |
| 21 | V BOTTAS | Cadillac Ferrari | 0 | -292 |
| 22 | S PÉREZ | Cadillac Ferrari | 0 | -292 |
| 23 | L STROLL | Aston Martin Honda | 0 | -292 |
| Pos. | Driver | Team/Engine | Points | Gap to leader |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A. K. ANTONELLI | Mercedes | 292 | — |
| 2 | G. RUSSELL | Mercedes | 211 | -81 |
| 3 | L. HAMILTON | Ferrari | 191 | -101 |
| 4 | L. NORRIS | McLaren Mercedes | 186 | -106 |
| 5 | C. LECLERC | Ferrari | 167 | -125 |
| 6 | M. VERSTAPPEN | Red Bull RBPT Ford | 145 | -147 |
| 7 | O. PIASTRI | McLaren Mercedes | 120 | -172 |
| 8 | I. HADJAR | Red Bull RBPT Ford | 71 | -221 |
| 9 | L. LAWSON | Racing Bulls RBPT Ford | 59 | -233 |
| 10 | P. GASLY | Alpine Mercedes | 41 | -251 |
| 11 | A. LINDBLAD | Racing Bulls RBPT Ford | 31 | -261 |
| 12 | F. COLAPINTO | Alpine Mercedes | 27 | -265 |
| 13 | O. BEARMAN | Haas Ferrari | 18 | -274 |
| 14 | G. BORTOLETO | Audi | 10 | -282 |
| 15 | N. HÜLKENBERG | Audi | 7 | -285 |
| 16 | C. SAINZ | Williams Mercedes | 6 | -286 |
| 17 | A. ALBON | Williams Mercedes | 5 | -287 |
| 18 | E. OCON | Haas Ferrari | 3 | -289 |
| 19 | F. ALONSO | Aston Martin Honda | 3 | -289 |
| 20 | Y. TSUNODA | Racing Bulls RBPT Ford | 1 | -291 |
| 21 | L. STROLL | Aston Martin Honda | 0 | -292 |
| 22 | V. BOTTAS | Cadillac Ferrari | 0 | -292 |
| 23 | S. PÉREZ | Cadillac Ferrari | 0 | -292 |
FAQ
What are the F1 standings after the 2026 Spanish GP?
Kimi Antonelli leads with 292 points, followed by George Russell on 211 and Lewis Hamilton on 191. Lando Norris is fourth with 186, ahead of Charles Leclerc on 167 and Max Verstappen on 145.
How big is Antonelli’s championship lead after Madrid?
Antonelli leads Russell by 81 points after 14 rounds. His advantage increased by 15 points at the Spanish GP after he won and Russell finished fifth.
Can Lando Norris overtake Lewis Hamilton in the F1 standings?
Norris is now only 5 points behind Hamilton. Hamilton remains third with 191 points, while Norris moved to 186 after finishing third in Madrid.
