Madrid supera su primer gran examen de Fórmula 1

Madrid made its first big mark in Formula 1 history by securing its first Grand Prix champion, 20-year-old Italian pilot Andrea Kimi Antonelli of the Mercedes team. It had been 45 years since the Spanish capital hosted a F1 race. The semi-urban track around Ifema Madrid and Valdebebas saw four retirements, including Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari on lap seven due to brake failure, Stroll's Cadillac for similar issues, Sergio Perez's Cadillac for a malfunction, and Sainz's Williams in the 45th lap.

Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) finished in eighth place. The Formula 1 event turned Madrid into a global stage, with the presence of the Royal Family. King Felipe VI joined with Princess Leonor and Princess Sofia, receiving them alongside city officials. The event also attracted celebrities from Real Madrid and other sports and entertainment figures, including various footballers, celebrities like Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham, Luis Figo, Sergio Ramos, Rafael Nadal, and athletes from Atletico Madrid and Spain's World Cup champions.

The race saw a highly competitive pole position battle between Norris and Antonelli, with Norris winning by just 0.011 seconds. Verstappen came in third, Hamilton fourth, and Charles Leclerc fifth. The Spanish pilots, Alonso and Sainz, struggled, resulting in their elimination in the Q1 and Q2 stages, respectively. Sainz received a three-position penalty for obstructing Valtteri Bottas, ending the race at 50th place, while Alonso advanced to 49th.

The first weekend of the Spanish Grand Prix proved more than a victory, as organizers had predicted a sold-out event with an estimated 130,000 daily visitors and 350,000 cumulative attendees, around 40% foreign. While exact figures are yet to be confirmed, the event is expected to generate over €467 million for the city. Nonetheless, Madrid has once again proven its ability to host large-scale events that will benefit the city for years to come.