Episode 165 - F1 2026 Spanish Grand Prix

Summary

Teeks reviews the inaugural 2026 Spanish Grand Prix at Madrid’s Mad Ring, from the circuit’s limited overtaking to Kimi Antonelli’s dominant victory. He also covers Ferrari’s inconsistency, Lando Norris’s costly pit-stop misfortune, Red Bull’s driver changes, and whether George Russell can still challenge for the title.

In this episode:

• Why the new Mad Ring circuit produced a largely processional race despite concerns about crashes and chaos.

• Ferrari’s latest power-unit upgrade was left unused by Charles Leclerc after checks raised concerns about possible damage from his Monza crash.

• Sergio Perez received two pit-lane speeding fines totaling €1,700 after being clocked at 86.7 km/h and 96.7 km/h.

• Charles Leclerc accepted responsibility for forcing Lewis Hamilton off track at Monza and said the incident had not damaged their relationship.

• Isaac Hadjar missed his third consecutive Grand Prix while recovering from a wrist fracture, with Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda continuing as substitutes.

• Robin Räikkönen, son of 2007 world champion Kimi Räikkönen, joined the Red Bull junior program after building experience in European karting.

• Williams unveiled a one-off livery inspired by its 1981 Constructors’ Championship-winning car.

• Norris took pole but lost the lead after a poorly timed Virtual Safety Car and a slow pit stop, eventually finishing third.

• Antonelli converted second on the grid into victory, earning his eighth career win and extending his championship advantage over George Russell to 81 points.

• Teeks names Antonelli Driver of the Day and assesses Russell’s chances of overcoming the deficit with nine races remaining.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Welcome to the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix review
01:54 - Ferrari’s difficult weekend in Monza sets the context
02:24 - Why F3’s Mad Ring crashes did not necessarily predict F1 chaos
04:21 - Leclerc loses access to Ferrari’s latest power unit
06:16 - Ferrari’s lack of consistency compared with Mercedes
07:13 - Perez receives two Cadillac pit-lane speeding fines
09:40 - Leclerc apologizes for the Hamilton incident at Monza
13:00 - Ferrari’s need for clearer teammate racing rules
14:22 - Hadjar misses another race with a wrist injury
17:40 - Robin Räikkönen joins Red Bull’s junior team
21:30 - Williams reveals its 1981-inspired Madrid livery
24:47 - Concerns over the FIA president’s comments about Alonso
26:13 - Qualifying begins on the new Mad Ring
27:36 - Both Spanish drivers fail to reach Q2
29:51 - Antonelli’s extreme approach to track limits
32:14 - Norris takes pole by just 0.01 seconds
35:52 - The opening-lap battle between Norris, Antonelli, Hamilton, and Verstappen
38:16 - Verstappen is ordered to give back two positions
39:43 - Hamilton suffers brake problems and retires
40:37 - Alonso and Sainz make contact at the main overtaking zone
41:06 - Stroll’s brake failure triggers the Virtual Safety Car
42:04 - Norris loses the lead through bad VSC timing and a slow stop
43:03 - The race settles into a long procession
44:13 - Leclerc finally pits after leading on a one-stop strategy
44:41 - Antonelli wins the first Mad Ring Grand Prix
45:09 - The finishing order and Antonelli’s 81-point advantage
48:04 - Was Madrid’s second Spanish race necessary?
50:25 - Teeks chooses Antonelli as Driver of the Day
51:24 - Can Russell overturn the championship deficit?
53:20 - The next race is the Saturday Azerbaijan Grand Prix

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