JUST IN: FIA Confirms Spanish Grand Prix Double Punishment on… Read more

JUST IN: FIA Confirms Spanish Grand Prix Double Punishment on Mercedes as Madrid Drama Explodes

 

The FIA has delivered a dramatic double verdict at the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix, with Mercedes drivers Kimi Antonelli and George Russell both receiving official warnings following separate investigations after qualifying at the new Madring circuit in Madrid.

 

The decisions came after an intense qualifying session in which Lando Norris stunned the field to take pole position, beating championship leader Antonelli by just 0.011 seconds. Antonelli qualified second, while Russell secured sixth place.

 

However, the attention quickly shifted from the battle for pole to the FIA stewards’ room.

 

Antonelli was investigated over his failure to comply with the required delta time during qualifying. The Mercedes youngster was summoned by the stewards and admitted that he could have done more to follow the instructions, although he argued that energy-management requirements and minor technical issues made it difficult to maintain the prescribed pace.

 

The FIA ultimately stopped short of imposing a grid penalty, instead handing the championship leader a formal warning. The decision means Antonelli remains safely on the front row alongside Norris for Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix.

 

But the drama did not end there.

 

Mercedes teammate Russell was also investigated after he left the circuit at Turn 5 to allow another car through and subsequently rejoined without following the prescribed route around a bollard.

 

Russell explained that he was concerned about impeding a car behind him and therefore attempted to return to the circuit as quickly as possible. The stewards acknowledged that he had acted in good faith, but concluded that he could have followed the correct route.

 

He was therefore also issued a warning.

 

The double FIA intervention creates an intriguing situation for Mercedes heading into Sunday’s race. Antonelli will start from second and remains the championship leader, while Russell will begin from sixth.

 

The timing is particularly significant for Antonelli. After recovering from an engine-related grid penalty to win the Italian Grand Prix from 19th place last weekend, the young Mercedes star has once again found himself at the centre of FIA scrutiny.

 

Meanwhile, the Spanish Grand Prix weekend has already produced major drama involving Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time world champion crashed during final practice at the final corner, damaging his Ferrari and triggering a red flag. Hamilton then attempted to continue driving the damaged car back towards the pits despite team instructions to stop, before eventually bringing the Ferrari to a halt.

 

Despite the incident, Hamilton recovered impressively in qualifying to take fourth on the grid, behind Norris, Antonelli and Max Verstappen. Charles Leclerc qualified fifth.

 

The FIA’s latest decisions therefore add another layer of tension to an already explosive Madrid weekend.

 

For Mercedes, the warnings are a reminder that even minor breaches can place drivers under intense scrutiny at the new circuit. For Antonelli, however, the most important news is that his front-row starting position remains intact.

 

With Norris on pole, Antonelli alongside him and Verstappen and Hamilton immediately behind, the first Spanish Grand Prix at the Madring is now perfectly positioned for another major F1 showdown.

 

And with overtaking expected to be extremely difficult around the new circuit, qualifying positions could prove crucial when the lights go out.

 

The FIA may have delivered its verdicts — but the biggest punishment, if any, could still come on Sunday when the championship battle finally reaches the track.