Power Rankings: Kimi Antonelli tops the judges’ table after the Spanish Grand Prix weekend in Madrid

Formula 1’s judges have released their latest Power Rankings following the Spanish Grand Prix weekend in Madrid at the all-new Madring. The top spot went to Kimi Antonelli, who took victory at the Spanish Grand Prix after the Virtual Safety Car timing played against Lando Norris’ race. F1’s write-up notes that Norris had rebounded strongly from technical troubles during Friday practice to secure pole position and establish early race control, but after a Virtual Safety Car appeared at an unfortunate moment, he was forced to settle for P3 in the Grand Prix classification.

F1 attributes Antonelli’s rise in the Power Rankings to the way he managed the race under the Virtual Safety Car, pitting while Norris stopped later, and then taking the lead when Norris rejoined behind him. The judges also highlight that Antonelli continued to lead the Mercedes charge and extended his championship lead over team mate George Russell to 81 points, according to the article’s championship framing.

Max Verstappen is described as having backed up a low-key Friday with a step forward in qualifying to qualify third on the grid, then converting that to second in the race after Norris’ VSC disruption. The article also credits Franco Colapinto at Alpine for strong momentum, citing consecutive Q3 appearances and points at Monza and Madrid, before converting a ninth-place grid into seventh at the chequered flag.

Other performances singled out by the judges include Arvid Lindblad, who recovered after a crash during FP2 to reach Q3 and score for a ninth time in the last 10 weekends, and Nico Hulkenberg, who missed Q3 by “just” a narrow margin in qualifying but finished 10th after a long, hot race. Charles Leclerc is noted as the only Ferrari driver to finish, placing fourth after Lewis Hamilton retired early due to brake problems.

Written by Vancouver Television Sports Desk