Formula 1 arrived in the Spanish capital for the first time this season, and the Madring wasted no time living up to the promise of a new circuit. Crashes, penalties and brake failures littered the weekend before a tense three-way fight decided the win. 

Few debuts on the calendar carry as much intrigue as a brand-new venue, and Madrid's inaugural Grand Prix had the fans on edge from the opening practice session through to the checkered flag. 

However, with Pirelli's tyres under scrutiny for graining and overheating, and a fresh layout still catching drivers out, the stakes of simply reaching the finish felt higher than usual all weekend. 

With that in mind, here are five key moments that defined the first Spanish Grand Prix at Madring in Madrid as reported by Formula One on their website on September 13th. 

1. Crashes set the tone before the race even started 

Practice was rough on several drivers. Arvid Lindblad, Lewis Hamilton and Oliver Bearman all crashed across FP2 and FP3, and Bearman's was serious enough to force him into the pit lane on a new chassis for the race. 

Hamilton shook off his own scare to grab provisional pole in qualifying, but Kimi Antonelli and then Lando Norris both went quicker, with Norris calling his final lap one of the best of his career. 

Max Verstappen took third. Grid penalties for Lance Stroll and Carlos Sainz added further disruption before the race began on Sunday. 

2. Verstappen gives back a hard-fought position 

On the opening lap, Antonelli ran wide twice while attacking Norris for the lead, which opened the door for Verstappen to pass cleanly at the Bunker and move into second. Hamilton, running just behind, argued over the radio that Verstappen shouldn't have kept the position. 

However, at the same time, Verstappen insisted Hamilton had nearly hit him. To avoid a penalty, Red Bull instructed Verstappen to hand the place back, and he reluctantly complied, dropping behind both Antonelli and Hamilton. 

3. Lewis Hamilton’s race came to an end early 

The concession didn't pay off for Hamilton. Brake problems hit almost immediately afterward, and he began losing ground fast as Verstappen and his own Ferrari teammate, Charles Leclerc, both passed him. 

By lap seven, the damage was severe enough that Ferrari retired the car, ending Hamilton's afternoon before the race had even reached its midpoint. 

4. A virtual safety car reshuffles the order 

Just as Lando Norris felt he could win the Spanish Grand Prix with ease, Lance Stroll stopped at Turn 20, bringing out the VSC. 

Both Mercedes and Red Bull used the moment to bring in their drivers cheaply, pitting Antonelli, George Russell and Verstappen together. Norris, whose team didn't react in time, pitted later under normal racing conditions and lost further ground to a slow seven-second stop, dropping him to fifth. 

That left Charles Leclerc, who hadn't pitted at all, unexpectedly in the lead on ageing tyres, hoping for a Safety Car that never came before he finally stopped on lap 48. 

5. Kimi Antonelli extends his championship bid 

Once Leclerc finally pitted, the race for the win came down to a straight fight between Antonelli, Verstappen and Norris. Antonelli found extra pace at the right moment and began to pull away, while Norris closed in on Verstappen for second. 

Verstappen ran wide at Turn 5 under pressure, and although Norris drew alongside, he couldn't complete the move before the chequered flag. 

Antonelli crossed the line 4.2 seconds ahead for the win, with Charles Leclerc and George Russell completing the top five. 

It was a fitting end to a chaotic first Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid, one shaped by early crashes, a mid-race retirement, a scrambled Virtual Safety Car period, and a finish that went down to the final lap. 

Written by

Chionia Libania Colaco