Madrid - Race

Few fans expected Lando Norris to be the man starting the second Spanish Grand Prix of the season from pole, but he surprised during Saturday's qualifying, finishing ahead of all his rivals. The race was thus his to lose. If he played his cards right, he could add yet another victory to his impressive tally. If he failed, there was a whole group of drivers behind him who were eager to capitalise on his every mistake. 

Strategies were split at the starting grid. Both drivers in the front row decided to start on medium tyres, but  Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton behind them opted for softs instead. Further down the order, many drivers, including Charles Leclerc and George Russell, decided to try their luck on the hardest available compound. Norris noted a good start, but he got overtaken by Kimi Antonelli after he went off track and cut the first chicane. The Championship leader gave back the position, only to overshoot a turn again later in the lap. 

At the same time, Max Verstappen moved past Lewis Hamilton. The Ferrari driver took to the radio to claim the overtake was performed off track, and the Dutchman was told to give back the position on lap four. He did so, only to regain it almost immediately. This was not the end of Hamilton's issues. He brushed the wall early in the lap and seemed to have done some damage to his brakes. Knowing that he would not be able to continue for long, he gave his position to Leclerc and then slowly tumbled down the order. Although he was able to make it back to the pits, for him the Grand Prix ended after only six laps. He wasn't the only driver to suffer early damage. At the race start, Oscar Piastri made contact with George Russell, damaging the side of his front wing. He was able to continue driving regardless. 

The course of the race was changed on lap 14 when Lance Stroll went off track following a brake issue and caused a Virtual Safety Car to be called in. Although it came early in the race, it provided the perfect opportunity for many drivers to change their tires at a reduced time cost. Antonelli, Verstappen, and Russell all changed their tires, but Leclerc and Norris decided to stay out. While the former stuck by his decision, the latter was called into the pits on the second VSC-including turn around the circuit. He didn't make it to the pits before it ended, but still pitted, losing significantly more time than he had expected. To make matters worse, he was provided with a disappointing seven-second stop. The lost time pushed him behind the drivers who made the immediate decision to change their tires. 

Leclerc became the new leader of the race, and although for a while it seemed like it was only a matter of time before he would be overtaken by Antonelli, his steady pace on the hard tires allowed him to lead the pack for most of the Grand Prix. He led as Russell pitted for the second time on lap 29, following a very brief stint on his medium tires, as Sergio Perez retired on lap 33, and as Sainz finished his race 13 laps later. Running out of time, he finally pitted on lap 48, bolting on a set of softs that he hoped would allow him to stay ahead of Russell until the end of the Grand Prix. 

With Leclerc out of the way, Antonelli reclaimed the race lead. He was chased by Verstappen at first, but as the Dutchman needed to focus on fending off Norris behind him, the Mercedes driver was given some room to breathe in the final laps. In the end, he crossed the finish line first, winning for the eighth time in his career.

Order of the grid:

1. Kimi Antonelli

2. Max Verstappen

3. Lando Norris

4. Charles Leclerc

5. George Russell

6. Liam Lawson

7. Franco Colapinto

8. Oscar Piastri

9. Arvid Lindblad

10. Nico Hulkenberg

11. Esteban Ocon

12. Pierre Gasly

13. Gabriel Bortoleto

14. Yuki Tsunoda

15. Alex Albon

16. Oliver Bearman

17. Fernando Alonso

18. Valtteri Bottas

DNF: Carlos Sainz, Sergio Perez, Lance Stroll, Lewis Hamilton