Martin Brundle claims F1 champion 'robbed' in controversial call

Martin Brundle talking into a Sky F1 mic — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Martin Brundle claims F1 champion 'robbed' in controversial call

Brundle thought Madring result was unfair

By Brian Van Hinthum.

Saturday 19 September 2026 19:44

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Martin Brundle has called the Spanish Grand Prix a 'robbery' after Lando Norris was denied a win at Madrid’s street circuit this past weekend.

The British driver started from pole and dominated early on until an untimely Virtual Safety Car disrupted his rhythm.

Mercedes rival Kimi Antonelli seized the opportunity to secure the victory, while Max Verstappen finished second, leaving Norris to settle for third.

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The race turned when yellow flags morphed into a Virtual Safety Car just as Norris was coming out of the final corner.

Having already passed the pit entry, he couldn’t get in immediately for fresh tires.

Antonelli was perfectly positioned to benefit from a quick, low-speed pit stop. A lap later, Norris finally pitted at McLaren, but the neutralisation had just ended, and a glitch during a right-front tyre change cost him seven vital seconds.

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Brundle claims Norris was robbed

Brundle didn’t mince words about the incident in his Sky Sports column.

Brundle argued that the final results did not reflect the true pace on track. “Antonelli and Verstappen were both immediately magnanimous post-race when declaring it Norris' victory without the unfortunate virtual safety car timing,” he explained.

“Should a driver lose a race because another driver has made a mistake or had a car failure? What goes around comes around in the course of a season and even a career, but it felt rather like a robbery on Sunday."

Solutions

To prevent similar scenarios in the future, Brundle suggested potential changes to the FIA regulations. He noted that some racing series temporarily close the pit lane, aside from emergencies or refueling, though this isn’t a perfect solution.

"One solution might be to ensure that if a virtual safety is deployed, then it must stay in place for at least a full lap of all the runners to keep it fairer. Although, of course, that costs green flag full-speed racing time, which is what people want to see in the grandstands and on their devices."