JP Motorsport Journal — The Stories Behind the Speed

Season at a Glance

Through Round 14 · Spain

8

Antonelli wins

14

Rounds run

5th

Different winners

9

Rounds remaining

Azerbaijan Grand Prix — Race Preview

Round 15 · Baku · Sep 24–26

Preview BAKU · A DAY EARLY · SOFTEST TYRES OF THE SEASON

An 81-point championship gap heads to F1's fastest street circuit

Antonelli's fortunate Madrid win — inheriting the lead when a Virtual Safety Car caught Norris just after he'd passed the pit entry — stretched his championship lead to a season-high 81 points over George Russell, with Lewis Hamilton a further 20 back in third after his first retirement of the year. Norris will arrive at Baku still smarting, having called the VSC rules that cost him the win "unfair."

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix returns to its familiar Baku City Circuit, but with an unfamiliar schedule: the whole weekend is shifted a day earlier than usual, with the race itself run on Saturday rather than Sunday, to avoid clashing with the country's Remembrance Day on the 27th. Pirelli is bringing its softest trio of the year — C3 as Hard, C4 as Medium, C5 as Soft — for the long, low-grip straights and heavy braking zones that define the circuit.

Baku's 2.2km run to Turn 1 is the longest flat-out section on the calendar, and its narrow old-town section punishes any driver who gets the wall-hugging wrong. It's a track that rewards a strong engine and nerve in equal measure — and after Madrid's low-key debut, a proven, historically dramatic street circuit is a welcome return.

A power track after a technical one

Madrid rewarded handling and mechanical grip; Baku flips straight back to a straight-line speed and braking-stability test, on tyres a full step softer than Madrid's. Expect degradation and Safety Cars to matter as much as raw pace.

Norris looking to bounce back

Pole position and the race lead in Madrid, undone by circumstance rather than pace — Norris will want an answer fast, and Baku's long straights suit McLaren's car well historically.

A shortened turnaround for everyone

With the whole weekend sliding forward a day, teams have less time on the ground to set up before first practice — a small but real complication layered on top of Baku's usual unpredictability.

Looking further out, there's genuine uncertainty hanging over the season's final two rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi given the regional security situation — both remain officially on the calendar, but contingency plans are reportedly in place. Nothing confirmed either way yet, but it's a storyline worth watching as the season enters its final stretch.

Breaking Motorsport News

Filed Sep 14, 2026

Breaking MADRID · CIRCUIT UNDER REVIEW

MADRING already facing changes after a processional debut race

Madrid's inaugural Grand Prix delivered a strong qualifying session but almost no on-track overtaking, and the backlash was immediate. Bortoleto admitted he nearly dozed off during the race, Albon called it dull, and even race-winner Antonelli said the layout doesn't encourage drivers to attempt a move. The root issue: several of MADRING's braking zones require braking and turning at the same time, leaving only one usable line into the corner and making it easy for the car ahead to defend.

Circuit organisers have already responded — event director Luis García Abad confirmed the FIA has outlined specific layout changes, and MADRING will be reprofiled before its 2027 return.

The corners in question

Turns 1, 5/6 and 13 are the ones reportedly under review, with the Turn 5 chicane after the main straight — originally intended as the primary overtaking zone — singled out as the main culprit.

It's not all bad

Team principals were notably more generous than the drivers — Ferrari's Vasseur called the wider event "mega," and Mercedes' Wolff compared the challenge favourably to Monaco, praising the facility while acknowledging the racing needs work.

Other fixes on the table

Drivers also flagged the pit lane as too long to encourage varied strategies — a second, separate area organisers will reportedly look at alongside the corner changes.

Spanish Grand Prix — Race Recap

Round 14 · Complete

Recap MADRID · ANTONELLI WINS AGAIN

Antonelli inherits the win as a VSC costs Norris his home debut

Lando Norris led comfortably from pole in F1's first-ever race at MADRING, but a Virtual Safety Car for Lance Stroll's stopped Aston Martin caught him just after he'd passed the pit entry. While the rest of the field pitted for free, Norris was forced to complete a lap at reduced speed before pitting once the track went green — handing the net lead, and eventually the win, to Kimi Antonelli.

Max Verstappen took second after a dramatic first lap — cutting Turn 1 to avoid Hamilton, then being ordered by Red Bull to give the place back, before Hamilton's retirement handed it straight back to him anyway. Norris recovered to third from what looked like a certain win. Charles Leclerc ran long on hards to take fourth, ahead of George Russell in fifth. Liam Lawson, again deputising for the injured Isack Hadjar, brought the second Red Bull home sixth, with Franco Colapinto and Oscar Piastri seventh and eighth. Arvid Lindblad edged out Nico Hülkenberg in a late fight for ninth. Hamilton, Stroll, Sergio Pérez and Carlos Sainz (on his home debut) all retired.

Strategy note

A single, perfectly-timed Virtual Safety Car decided the entire race — Norris's misfortune was simply being a few seconds too far past the pit entry when it was called.

Championship shift

Antonelli's eighth win of the season stretches his lead over Russell to 81 points — the biggest gap of the year — with Hamilton's retirement dropping him further off the pace in third.

Looking ahead

The paddock heads to Baku for round 15 — a day earlier than usual, on a circuit that rewards exactly the kind of straight-line speed Madrid didn't.

The StoriesBehind the Speed

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