Kimi Antonelli won the Spanish Grand Prix for Mercedes after a race shaped by pit-stop strategy and a Virtual Safety Car period. Max Verstappen finished second and Lando Norris took third, while Charles Leclerc completed the top four after leading a large part of the race.
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Norris keeps the lead at the start
Lando Norris started from pole position and kept the lead after the opening laps, with Antonelli behind him. Max Verstappen also attacked early, but he had to give a position back after going off the track during the opening battle. Lewis Hamilton soon moved into the fight, but his Ferrari developed a brake problem and he was forced to retire early in the race.
Norris then built a gap over Antonelli, while Verstappen remained close to the leaders. The race changed when Lance Stroll stopped with a brake problem and the Virtual Safety Car was introduced. Mercedes and Red Bull used the opportunity to bring Antonelli and Verstappen into the pits.
Virtual Safety Car changes the strategy
Norris could not pit during the Virtual Safety Car period and had to stop after normal racing resumed. His pit stop was also slow, leaving him behind Antonelli, Verstappen and George Russell. Charles Leclerc stayed out and became the race leader because Ferrari had chosen a different strategy.
Leclerc continued for a long time without making his pit stop, while Antonelli ran second and Verstappen followed behind. Norris spent many laps trying to recover the positions lost because of the timing of his pit stop. He eventually moved back into the fight for the podium, but Verstappen remained ahead of him.
Leclerc leads until the final part of the race
Ferrari kept Leclerc on track in the hope that a later Safety Car or red flag could help his strategy. Antonelli stayed close to the Ferrari, while Verstappen and Norris continued their battle behind him. Norris was unable to find a way past Verstappen despite several attempts.
Leclerc finally made his late pit stop, which gave Antonelli the race lead. Verstappen moved into second and Norris followed in third, while Leclerc returned to the track in fourth. From that point, Antonelli increased the pace and created enough of a gap to control the finish.
Antonelli takes the win
Antonelli crossed the finish line first, winning the Spanish Grand Prix by 4.3 seconds. Verstappen finished second, with Norris third and Leclerc fourth. George Russell finished fifth, while Liam Lawson took sixth.
The full results of the race according to FIA.com:
