Kimi Antonelli strengthened his position at the top of the Formula One drivers’ championship by winning the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid, according to ABC News Australia.
The victory was Antonelli’s eighth of the season and extended his advantage over Mercedes teammate George Russell to 81 points. Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton was a further 20 points behind Russell, with eight or nine race weekends remaining depending on whether the Middle East races can proceed.
Russell finished fifth in Spain after contact involving Oscar Piastri and Russell before the first corner. Antonelli benefited from a safety car and converted the opportunity into another victory, further widening the gap at the top of the standings.
After the race, Russell said he had no realistic chance of winning the drivers’ championship this season. “We [Mercedes] are in a great position to win the constructors’ [championship]. Realistically, I'm not in the fight for the drivers',” he told reporters in Madrid.
Antonelli is in only his second Formula One season and is now close to becoming the youngest world champion in the sport’s history. Sebastian Vettel set the existing mark in 2010, when he won his first title at the age of 23 years and 133 days.
Antonelli became the youngest driver to lead the championship earlier in the year. Asked whether an 81-point advantage allowed him to relax, he rejected that approach. “I want to keep pushing race by race, keep delivering and keep enjoying all the way,” he said, according to ABC News Australia.
The championship moves to Azerbaijan for the next race around the streets of Baku on Saturday, September 26. Mercedes has matched pre-season expectations by emerging as the leading team in 2026, although Russell’s title challenge has faded as Antonelli has continued to win.