Kimi Antonelli Leads Charge at New Madring Circuit

Kimi Antonelli arrives in Spain with the look of a man who has no interest in sharing this championship.

Fresh from a wild, home-soil victory at Monza – carved out from 19th on the grid, no less – the Mercedes driver heads to the brand-new Madring circuit for Round 14 of the 2026 Formula 1 season and the Spanish Grand Prix from 11-13 September. The title leader didn’t just win in Italy; he tore through the field in front of an adoring home crowd and turned a difficult Saturday into a statement Sunday.

Podium at Monza: Antonelli on the top step, George Russell alongside him to complete a Mercedes one-two, and Max Verstappen forced to settle for third in the Red Bull.

On a track where Verstappen so often dictates the terms, it was Mercedes who seized control.

The weekend also delivered a different kind of breakthrough. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly took the first pole position of his Formula 1 career, a superb lap on Saturday that stunned the established order and underlined just how volatile this season has become. He couldn’t convert it into victory, but that single lap has thrown fresh intrigue into the Madring weekend. If Gasly can repeat that kind of qualifying form on an unknown circuit, the grid could look very different again.

Ferrari, by contrast, left Monza bruised. Charles Leclerc crashed out of the race, ending any hope of giving the Tifosi the result they craved, while Lewis Hamilton could manage only sixth. For a team that had circled its home race on the calendar, it was a sobering reminder that the margin for error in this championship is razor-thin.

Upcoming Weekend Schedule

Now comes the great unknown: Madring. A new circuit, fresh asphalt, no historic data to lean on. Teams will earn their answers the hard way, starting with first practice on Friday, 11 September, from 12:30 to 13:30 BST, followed by a second session from 16:00 to 17:00. Those two hours of running will be precious as engineers scramble to understand tyre behaviour, fuel loads, and how aggressive they can be with set-up on a track nobody has raced on before.

Saturday, 12 September, brings the final tune-up in third practice from 11:30 to 12:30, before qualifying at 15:00. That one-hour shootout will be the first real glimpse of who has unlocked Madring’s secrets and who is still searching for grip and balance in the Spanish heat.

Race Day

Sunday is what matters. Lights out for the 57-lap Spanish Grand Prix is at 14:00 BST on 13 September. One hour and a half of hard racing on a brand-new stage, with a championship leader in full flight, a resurgent Mercedes, a Red Bull camp smarting from defeat, and a Ferrari outfit desperate to steady itself.

For those following from home, full race commentary will run on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website and app, with coverage of all practice sessions and the race itself also available via smart speakers by asking to "play Sports Extra 2". The Chequered Flag podcast continues to dissect every twist of the season, with post-race shows for every grand prix now available to watch on BBC iPlayer and YouTube.

A new circuit, a charged title fight, and a champion-in-waiting driving like he already owns the crown. Madring will not stay anonymous for long.