The main grandstand and the finish straight of the revolutionary semi-urban circuit of Madring, located in the IFEMA area of Madrid, became the epicenter of popular outrage against social communist apathy. "Pedro Sánchez, son of a bitch!" was the resounding and massive cry with which hundreds of Spanish patriots chanted their rejection of the corrupt president Pedro Sánchez, during the prelude and the course of the Spanish Grand Prix of Formula 1.
The strong expressions of discontent and collective boos resonated powerfully in the capital's venue, accompanied by banners rejecting Pedro Sánchez and warm cheers of "Long live Spain" and "Long live the King" directed towards the Crown. Among the manifestations of rejection, a clever maneuver by a spectator stood out, who deceived the official broadcast of Formula 1 by displaying a sign claiming to have traveled 19,854 kilometers from New Zealand to see driver Liam Lawson, only to turn it around unexpectedly in front of the cameras and reveal the phrase "Dog Sánchez son of a bitch".
The celebration of national pride began solemnly with the emotional performance of the Spanish national anthem by an orchestra and the aerial display of three Eurofighter jets soaring through the sky of Madrid, in which the institutional void of the Government was deafening. In an open maneuver of boycott against a pivotal event for the country, president Pedro Sánchez did not send any minister to the Grand Prix in Madrid —unlike his usual presence at the Montmeló circuit in Barcelona— nor did he attend throughout the entire week of activities.
In the face of the deliberate absence of the Government, support for the institutions fell exclusively on the figure of King Felipe VI, accompanied by the infantes Leonor and Sofía, along with the president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, and the mayor of the city, José Luis Martínez-Almeida.
On the strictly sporting front, the competition on the track of Madring —which marked the long-awaited return of Formula 1 to Madrid after 45 years— crowned the Italian Andrea Kimi Antonelli as the winner behind the wheel of his Mercedes car. The podium of the race was completed by the Dutch Max Verstappen of Red Bull in second place and the British Lando Norris of McLaren in third place.
Meanwhile, the Monegasque Charles Leclerc finished in fourth place for Ferrari, a team that suffered the premature retirement of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton on the seventh lap due to a serious problem with the braking system while battling in 3rd position in the drivers' championship. The fifth spot belonged to the British George Russell with Mercedes, adding 10 points for The Silver Arrow, while the Australian Oscar Piastri of McLaren took eighth place and the German Nico Hülkenberg with Audi captured 10th position.
After this day, the figures of the 2026 Drivers' Championship consolidate the leadership of Andrea Kimi Antonelli with 292 points, extending his lead to 81 units over George Russell (211) and 91 over Lewis Hamilton (191). The table continues with Lando Norris in fourth place with 186, Charles Leclerc fifth with 167, Max Verstappen sixth with 145, Oscar Piastri seventh with 120, Isack Hadjar eighth with 71, Liam Lawson ninth with 59 (who replaced Isack Hadjar in Red Bull), Pierre Gasly tenth with 41 and Arvid Lindblad in 11th position with 31.
The standings are completed by Oliver Bearman (18), Gabriel Bortoleto (10), Nico Hülkenberg (7), Carlos Sainz (6), Alex Albon (5), Esteban Ocon (3), Fernando Alonso (3) and Yuki Tsunoda (1, who took Liam Lawson's seat in Racing Bulls in Zandvoort), closing without points Lance Stroll (0), Valtteri Bottas (0) and Sergio Checo Pérez (0). In the 2026 Constructors' Championship, Mercedes leads the standings with 503 points, followed by Ferrari (358 points) and McLaren (306 points). The other positions belong to Red Bull Racing (230 points), Racing Bulls (77 points), Alpine (68 points), Haas (21 points), Audi (17 points), Williams (11 points), Aston Martin (3 points) and Cadillac (0 points).
The day also featured a standout performance from the young 23-year-oldFranco Colapinto. At the helm of his A526 car from Alpine, the driver started from the 9th position on the grid and crossed the finish line in a remarkable 7th position, adding six key points. The racer’s journey began with a sublime start, overtaking Liam Lawson and taking advantage of Oscar Piastri's complications behind George Russell, reaching sixth place after Lewis Hamilton's retirement, although Lawson regained that spot on the tenth lap.
The Argentine, Franco Colapinto
On lap 15, during the safety car period due to Lance Stroll's accident (Aston Martin), the driver made his pit stop, fitted hard tires and returned to the track in tenth place, holding off Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls), who closed in to three tenths. In the final stretch, he overtook Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) on lap 48, fending off the attacks from Oscar Piastri —who had fresher medium tires— and climbed to the definitive 7th place after the stop of his teammate Pierre Gasly (12th).
With this performance, Franco Colapinto marked his 8th entry into the points zone over 15 events, accumulating 27 units in the championship where his best mark remains the sixth place in Canada (along with his 7th place in Miami due to a penalty to Charles Leclerc). After the final flag, the driver moved fans by performing the lap of honor with the Argentine flag waving from the car.
In statements to ESPN, he explained: “A race official gave it to me while waiting to hand it over. We thank the Argentine flag bearer. Happy to carry an Argentine flag”. He also highlighted that the circuit “was full of Argentine flags” and concluded: “I had already carried the flag during the exhibition in Buenos Aires and I’m happy to carry an Argentine flag in a real race and after a good result, it’s very special”. After the debut in Madring, the category will take a break before the Grand Prix of Azerbaijan in Baku from September 24 to 26, with the main race starting on Sunday the 26th at 08:00.
