Formula 1 rolls into Madrid this weekend for the Spanish Grand Prix, this time held at the brand-new IFEMA Madring circuit for the first time in the sport’s history
Kimi Antonelli arrives off the back of what has been called the drive of the season, a truly stunning win at Monza last time out after starting 19th on the grid, and the young Italian looks all but unstoppable at the top of the Drivers’ Championship. Behind him, plenty is still to play for in the fight for second, and with a new venue always throwing up plenty of unpredictability, we should be in for an entertaining weekend of racing in the Spanish capital.
DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP UPDATE
Kimi Antonelli continues to lead the Drivers’ Championship comfortably on 267 points after his heroics at Monza. George Russell sits second on 201 points, with Lewis Hamilton just behind him on 191. Lando Norris is fourth on 171 following back-to-back wins earlier in the summer, and Charles Leclerc rounds out the top five on 155 points.
The bookies see Antonelli as an overwhelming favourite for the title at just 1.16, a price that reflects his enormous points lead heading into the tail-end of the season. Russell, Hamilton and Norris are all tied at 15.00 as long-odds hopes, while Leclerc drifts all the way out to 41.00 given his 112-point deficit to the leader.
Click here for betting on Drivers Championship winner
Last Race – Italian GP 2026
Last weekend’s Italian GP at Monza produced what has to go down as the drive of the season from Kimi Antonelli. Starting 19th on the grid after a penalty, the young Italian delivered a stunning drive to take the win in front of his home fans. George Russell was second in the sister Mercedes, with Max Verstappen third for Red Bull. Lando Norris came home fourth for McLaren, ahead of team-mate Oscar Piastri in fifth and Lewis Hamilton sixth for Ferrari. It was a tough day for Charles Leclerc, who was forced to retire from the race with a DNF.
Spanish GP 2025
Last year’s Spanish GP was won by Oscar Piastri for McLaren, with team-mate Lando Norris coming home second to make it a McLaren one-two. Charles Leclerc was third for Ferrari, George Russell was fourth for Mercedes, and Nico Hülkenberg produced a stunning drive to finish fifth for Sauber. Lewis Hamilton rounded out the top six for Mercedes at the time. Note that this year’s race is being held at a completely different venue in Madrid rather than the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya where last year’s race took place.
CIRCUIT
The Madring is a brand-new circuit built around the IFEMA exhibition centre in Madrid, making its Formula 1 debut this weekend. The layout combines street-circuit sections with a purpose-built permanent section, giving the track a genuinely unique character. It features a mix of long flowing corners, several high-speed straights and a banked corner that has already caught plenty of attention. As with any new circuit, there are always unknowns, nobody has raced here before, tyre wear and set-up are anyone’s guess, and qualifying is likely to be more important than ever given how tricky overtaking can be on a debut layout. Expect drama, expect the unexpected.
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BETTING (2026 Spanish GP) – Click here to bet
Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) 2.80
Lando Norris (Mclaren) 3.70
George Russell (Mercedes) 5.50
Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) 7.00
Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 9.00
Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) 11.00
Oscar Piastri 11.00
Betting and Verdict:
Antonelli delivered what many are already calling the drive of the season last weekend. He entered the weekend knowing he had a grid penalty at his home GP, but that wasn’t going to stop him. He delivered overtake after overtake, eventually taking the lead from his team-mate George Russell to go on and win the race in dramatic style. That was his seventh win of the season, and he doesn’t look like slowing down any time soon. At 2.80 this weekend, we think this is a very good bet.
Suggested bet: Kimi Antonelli to win at 2.80
A driver who has gone under the radar in recent weeks is Max Verstappen. We are so used to seeing him win races that when he doesn’t, everyone tends to forget about him, when in fact he has been putting in some very decent results. In Verstappen’s last four races, he has finished on the podium on three occasions. The only time he was not able to finish on the podium was at the Dutch GP, where he crashed early on in the race. He was able to finish 3rd last weekend, and we think if he can carry that momentum into this weekend, we could easily see another podium finish.
Suggested Bet: Max Verstappen Top 3 at 3.10.
Click here for all Spanish Grand Prix Betting Markets
Note: All prices correct at the time of writing but are subject to change
