Motor racing-Antonelli stretches lead as Madring's first F1 winner


Formula One F1 - Spanish Grand Prix - Madring, Madrid, Spain - September 13, 2026 Mercedes' Andrea Kimi Antonelli celebrates after winning the Spanish Grand Prix REUTERS/Jakub Porzycki

MADRID, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Kimi ⁠Antonelli moved a mighty step ‌closer to the Formula One title on Sunday after winning the first ​Spanish Grand Prix held ⁠at Madrid's ⁠new circuit.

The 20-year-old Italian's Madring victory, ⁠his ‌eighth win of the season, stretched his ⁠championship lead to 81 points after ​14 ‌rounds.

Antonelli benefited from a well-timed ⁠virtual ​safety car and calamitous McLaren pitstop on lap 16 of ⁠57 that cost pole-sitter ​and early leader Lando Norris a likely win on a track ⁠where overtaking proved almost impossible.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen was second with Norris third. Antonelli ​now has 292 ⁠points to closest rival and ​teammate George Russell, ‌who finished fifth, on ​211.

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Andrew Heavens)

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