Brought forward by three hours due to the threat of rain, the race began under a sense of urgency – and delivered instant drama. A chaotic opening lap saw spins, clashes, and rapid position changes, while Kimi Antonelli emerged as a key figure at the front, battling for the lead from the outset. With conditions uncertain and strategies already under pressure, the tone was set for an unpredictable race.
Lap 1 Dramatics
A very chaotic race start filled with action saw Leclerc join Antonelli as they approached Turn One. Following this, Verstappen spun out on the exit, but fortunately for him, no one else got caught up in the incident.
A brilliant start for both McLarens as Norris jumped from 4th to 2nd, while Piastri also gained positions. The Lap One drama continued when Hamilton and Colapinto briefly clashed while battling for 6th place.
On Lap 4, Antonelli reclaimed the lead from Leclerc after a fierce battle that began on Lap 1.
Hadjar and Gasly In The Wall
Hadjar’s race ended prematurely when he clipped the wall on Lap 6. Moments later, Gasly slammed into the barrier at Turn 17 after making contact with Lawson, who had locked up. This incident prompted the officials to deploy the Safety Car.
After suffering damage from the incident with Gasly, Racing Bulls decided to retire Lawson’s car from the race. Hulkenberg was also in the garage, preparing to retire from the race.
Green Flag
As the green flag is waved, Leclerc retains the lead from Norris and Antonelli. Piastri made a move on Russell to gain 4th place.
Norris Takes the Lead
Norris became the third different race leader on Lap 13. He got ahead of Leclerc on the second lap after the Safety Car restart.
Antonelli also gained a position from Leclerc, who was now down in 3rd place. Antonelli began chasing down Norris, who was 1.7s ahead.
Making moves on Lindblad and Ocon, Verstappen moved up to 11th. Chasing down the Haas of Bearman too, Verstappen was now up to 10th.
Rain Shower Looms…
Perez’s race engineer states on the team radio:
“We expect a shower in two to three laps and we want to survive it.”
Russell Pits
Being the first of the front-runners to pit, Russell received the command to “Box, Box” while lying in 5th place, but re-entered the track in 12th place.
Ferrari reacted to Mercedes’ decision, and he pits. Unfortunately, it was a 3.7s stop, meaning he came out behind Russell.
Now up to 5th place, Verstappen began to gain on Hamilton with the hopes of moving up to 4th place. He was finally able to make his move on Lap 27.
The Rain Arrives
A small rain shower arrived on Lap 26, but it was not at all strong enough to interfere with the race so far.
Norris Pits From The Lead
Following Antonelli’s earlier pit stop, McLaren pitted race leader Norris, who emerged ahead of the Mercedes. However, with warmer tyres, Antonelli quickly regained his position.
Antonelli Re-gains The Lead
Lap 29 saw Antonelli cruise past Verstappen, which allowed him to gain 1st place on Turn 11. A few moments later, Norris does the same and overtakes Verstappen for 2nd.
Antonelli complained of issues with the gearbox on Lap 33; this could prove to be detrimental in his race today. Following these issues, Norris cuts Antonelli’s lead to under 1 second. 10 laps later, Antonelli was able to increase the lead to beyond 1 second.
On Lap 47, Antonelli received his second strike for track limits. He was told by his race engineer to drive more steadily to prevent a 5-second penalty.
Piastri breezed past Verstappen on Lap 48 for 4th place. Russell was also on course to catch the Red Bull.
5 Laps Remaining
Russell set a personal best lap time on Lap 54 while chasing down Verstappen for 5th place. However, Verstappen is due to visit the stewards after the race following a pit lane incident earlier in the race.
Verstappen successfully defended his position against Russell in a fierce battle on the track, as Russell sustained damage to his front wing during the intense exchange.
On the final lap, Antonelli remained in control at the front, poised to secure victory as intense battles unfolded behind him. Russell finally found a way past Verstappen to claim fifth, capping off a long fight between the pair.
Chequered Flag – Antonelli Wins
At the chequered flag, Antonelli sealed a commanding win – his third in a row – extending his championship lead with another composed drive. Lando Norris followed in second, with Oscar Piastri completing the podium, while a wounded Leclerc limped home just behind after a spin in the final moments.
A race defined by early chaos and changing conditions was settled by composure at the front. Despite sustained pressure from Norris, the threat of rain and late concerns over reliability and track limits, Kimi Antonelli controlled proceedings to secure a third consecutive victory and extend his championship lead.
Behind him, battles continued to the final corners, but Antonelli’s authority out front proved decisive in a race that remained unpredictable throughout.