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Antonelli holds off Verstappen to stretch F1 championship lead

  • On Sunday, Andrea Kimi Antonelli won the inaugural Formula One race in Madrid, securing his eighth victory of the 2026 season and extending his championship grip.
  • A crash by Lance Stroll on the 14th lap triggered a Virtual Safety Car that caught McLaren driver Lando Norris off guard. Norris lost his seven-second lead and a slow front-right tyre change left him 13 seconds adrift.
  • Max Verstappen finished runner-up, 4.3 seconds behind Antonelli, while Charles Leclerc led most of the race before his late stop. Lewis Hamilton retired early with a brake problem, ending the seven-time world champion's title hopes as he fell 101 points behind the pace.
  • Following the race, Norris alleged Verstappen defended second place illegally on the penultimate lap. Antonelli extended his championship margin to 81 points with nine rounds remaining, positioning him to potentially usurp Sebastian Vettel as the sport's youngest-ever world champion.
  • Mercedes driver George Russell finished fifth, questioning the team's two-stop strategy. "I think I could have held Norris off," Russell asked, as the team refines tactics amid the intensifying championship battle.
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Lean Left

Kimi Antonelli was the big winner, finishing first in the Madrid Grand Prix hosted by the region's new track. The post Antonelli even closer to the title – He took victory in Madrid (pics) appeared first on in.gr.

·Greece
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Lean Right

The Italian pilot, Kimi Antonelli, won the 14th stage of the World Cup in Madrid, increasing his personal break to 81 points. The Italian racer, Mercedes, Kimi Antonelli, won the first in Spain's Grand Prix, gives RIA News. The second to the final was Max Festappen of Red Bull, and the three leaders were locked down by Britishman Lando Norris, representing McLaren. The winner's partner George Russell was fifth, saving the second line in the over…

Lean Right

Kimi Antonelli is the driver of this season so far. The Mercedes driver also wins on the new course in Madrid. Lewis Hamilton experiences a bitter afternoon.

·Berlin, Germany
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El Vocero de Puerto Rico broke the news in San Juan, United States on Sunday, September 13, 2026.
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