Kimi Antonelli made history at MadRing by becoming the first driver to win at the new circuit, securing his eighth victory of the season.The 20-year-old Mercedes driver delivered a composed performance in a demanding race, with tyre management proving to be one of the biggest challenges throughout the afternoon. Antonelli found particularly strong pace during the closing stages on the hard compound, allowing him to secure victory.Despite celebrating another win, Antonelli admitted that he did not feel the result fully reflected the race and suggested that Lando Norris had done enough to deserve the victory.
“It was a very difficult race and certainly not an easy one. Managing the tyres was probably the biggest challenge. Of course, winning is always a great feeling, but I cannot fully enjoy this victory because I believe Lando deserved it more today. Nevertheless, we will take it.Overall, we had a very strong race, especially towards the end on the hard tyres. The entire weekend was incredible, and I want to thank the fans for giving us so much energy. I am already looking forward to coming back here next year.I am not going to slow down. In every remaining race, I want to keep attacking, fight for the best possible results and enjoy every moment. I will give 100 per cent in every Grand Prix, and at the end of the year we will see what we have achieved.”
George Russell finished fifth after being among the drivers affected by the Virtual Safety Car period, which disrupted his strategy and cost him valuable track position.Antonelli’s victory marks another major milestone in an outstanding season and adds a historic first win at MadRing to his growing list of achievements.
