Monday in Formula 1 was marked by the repercussions of the Spanish GP and the increasingly favorable scenario for Kimi Antonelli in the title fight. After the victory in Madrid, the Italian opened an 81-point lead over George Russell and, depending on a possible change in the calendar, could secure the championship already at the Mexico City GP.
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The future of the calendar also gained strength. Although the FOM officially maintains the Qatar and Abu Dhabi GPs, teams have already been informed that Imola may host the last stage of 2026. According to GPblog, hotels in the Italian region have already been booked, while the delay in confirmation is also linked to financial issues involving the fees paid by the promoters of the races in the Middle East.
In the sporting analysis of the Spanish GP, the result hid a warning for Mercedes. Antonelli won after taking advantage of the favorable moment of the Virtual Safety Car, but Lando Norris had built a 4.7-second lead by lap 7 and seemed to be controlling the race before the neutralization. It was another weekend in which McLaren showed the ability to directly challenge the German team for victory.
Madring, on the other hand, returned to the center of criticism. The first race on the circuit had only four overtakes, the lowest number of the 14 stages held in 2026 and six less than Monaco. Before Madrid, the season average was 61 maneuvers per race, reinforcing the contrast with the Spanish debut.
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At Ferrari, the team is still trying to understand the brake failure that caused Lewis Hamilton’s retirement. Fred Vasseur confirmed that the exact cause has not yet been identified and will be investigated, after the Briton reported that the pedal became long and lost efficiency repeatedly during the first laps. The retirement ended Hamilton’s streak of scoring points in all races of the year.
Off the track, McLaren is also stirring behind the scenes. The team is trying to bring forward the arrival of Gianpiero Lambiase, Max Verstappen’s engineer at Red Bull, currently scheduled for 2028. The two teams have been discussing the matter, but information from De Telegraaf indicates that Lambiase will remain at Red Bull at least until the end of this season.
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