EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsMADRID -- Sunday's podium at the Spanish Grand Prix was one of those rare but awkward celebrations where all three drivers had reason to believe they should be standing on a different step.That's not to say race winner Kimi Antonelli was anything but delighted about taking the eighth victory of his sensational and burgeoning season, but within the second breath of his post-race interview, he admitted Lando Norris was the driver who "deserved" to be holding the winner's trophy."It's good to win and I think the pace at the end of the race was good, but if I have to be realistic and honest, you know, today we didn't deserve to win," Antonelli said. "Lando deserved to win today, and so I think our result was probably P2 or even P3."After the first 13 laps at the all-new Madring, Norris, who had taken pole position with a lap for the ages on Saturday, looked in control of the race. After holding off Antonelli twice on the opening lap, he built a six-second lead over the Mercedes driver over the following 12 laps and was looking set to cruise to his third victory in four races.But as he passed the pit entrance at the end of lap 14, that hard-fought lead proved to be his undoing. No sooner had he negotiated the final corner than race control announced a Virtual Safety Car to remove Lance Stroll's stricken Aston Martin from the run-off area at Turn 20. The VSC forced Norris to slow down for the vast majority of lap 15, thereby offering time-efficient pit stops to Antonelli and Max Verstappen behind him, who both made their sole tire change of the race under the VSC.There was still a possibility that Norris might be able to take advantage of his own VSC pit stop by the time he returned to the end of the lap, but as he prepared to peel off into the pits, the caution period was lifted and full-speed racing resumed. By making his tire change (which, incidentally, took seven seconds) under full racing conditions, he emerged back on the road in fifth place -- a full 16 seconds adrift of Antonelli and, on a circuit where overtaking proved incredibly difficult, out of contention for victory."Not a lot we could do ... just a load of s---," Norris said on team radio after recovering to third at the checkered flag. "Just take it on the chin ... we were too quick, that's all it was. Very unlucky today, guys. We deserved the win quite easily."McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said there was some consideration given to leaving Norris out longer, but ultimately the timing of the VSC meant the damage was done."Sometimes we talk about being unlucky, and I think at times being unlucky is used for too many applications, but in this case, it's almost a mathematical definition of being unlucky," Stella said. "We considered staying out [beyond lap 15], but you have to accept the fact that now you are on relatively used medium tires and the people behind you will be on new hards, so you're never going to open a gap on people with a new hard. Therefore, we needed to accept that pitting was what we had to do and the fact that it was incredibly unfortunate."There were suggestions, albeit with the significant benefit of hindsight, that McLaren could have preempted the VSC and pitted Norris at the end of lap 14 before race control had confirmed the caution period. But Stella pointed out that race strategy is best decided by the facts as they unfold rather than on a hope and a prayer."I'm going to have to review with my engineers to see whether it was kind of obvious that we would end up in a Virtual Safety Car and, therefore, whether we could have anticipated it or not," he added. "But here [at the Madring], the problem is that you need to be extremely careful because it's 27 seconds lost if you pit while not under a Virtual Safety Car. So if you get it wrong, it would be extremely penalizing. And from the lead, if you pit unnecessarily, now you have lost the victory."So, I think a good rule is to respond to what is a fact, to what is the real condition of the circuit. But we will have to take a look as to whether in these conditions it was just simply obvious that we would end up with a Virtual Safety Car. But I cannot answer on that [right now]."For Norris, it all felt so unfair. Speaking after the race, he questioned whether there should be changes to the regulations to avoid situations where a single driver loses out by pure happenstance of their position on track and the timing of a VSC or Safety Car."It's just ... I don't think many people have lost a race [so blatantly] over it," he said. "It's frustrating, I don't feel like it's the way you should lose. We've spoken about it in the past in the drivers' briefing, saying they should leave [the VSC] out, at least for a lap, so it's equal for everyone. Today I was the only one that lost out, and I lost out about 20 seconds of race time, and that's not how it should be."On the basis of Sunday's events, it's hard to argue with his position. As is so often the case in F1, though, if you make one change to the rules you open up multiple other loopholes."I think it's something, as a group of drivers, I think we would all want, but there's a lot more to it," Norris said. "You know, depending on if it's raining and there's a VSC and you're on slicks, does it mean you can box or not? You know, so it's a complicated subject."But I think as a collection of drivers, if we all talk about it, I think everyone wants the same thing, and that's just fairness for everyone. So yeah, of course I'm complaining about it today. I could benefit from it next week, next time out, and I could win because of it."And then there was Verstappen in second place. After Red Bull's tough year to date, there was reason to be happy with his fifth podium in seven races, but there was also an overwhelming sense of what if?Verstappen's Red Bull was undoubtedly the third-fastest car behind the McLaren and Mercedes at the Madring, but at the end of lap one, it was him -- and not Antonelli -- who was directly behind Norris and in the best position to benefit from the timing of the VSC.Rewind to the start of that lap, and Verstappen took to the runoff area in an attempt to hold off Lewis Hamilton for third place at the first chicane. Verstappen argued that had he not cut the chicane, the two cars would have collided, but the race director took a dim view of him rejoining ahead of Hamilton and requested he cede the position on lap two.The only problem with that was by then Verstappen was also ahead of Antonelli, after the Mercedes driver tried his luck passing Norris at Turn 5, skipped the chicane and lost momentum -- and a position to Verstappen -- on the run up to Turn 7. When the race director's version of events got through to the cockpit of the Red Bull, Verstappen was not happy."Mate, what the f--- are you guys talking about?" he said to his engineer over team radio. "[Hamilton] would've shunted it. Like what are you guys talking about? If I just stay on the track, I am out of the race."When Verstappen got back past Hamilton, who was struggling with a brake issue and eventually retired, he reopened the team radio to say: "He can give me the position now, f---ing bulls---. F---ing Mickey Mouse racing, this is."Verstappen censored his language somewhat after the race, but still saw the first-corner decision as an injustice and, ultimately, one that cost him a shot at victory."I would have had damage at the start if I would have stayed on track, so then the win was also not on. It's as simple as that," Verstappen said. "I just did my own thing in Turn 1, but Lewis went for a move on the first two and bottomed out on the kerb, so he just jumped back onto the track, and that's why I had to go off the road."If I would have stayed there, I would have definitely had contact. So, then my race could have potentially been over in Turn 2, and that's why I think, where we are now, I'm happy to be."Verstappen's frustration over how the opening lap of the race panned out can be extrapolated to the wider concerns felt by all drivers about the lack of overtaking opportunities at the Madring. As early as Thursday's news conferences, drivers had referenced their concerns about the track layout, and as it came to pass, only a handful of overtakes took place on Sunday.Stella pointed out after the race that had passing been easier, Norris' late charge may have allowed him to at least take Verstappen and possibly challenge Antonelli."It requires a large, large lap time difference [between two cars] to be able to overtake," Stella said. "I think what we'd like to review, with F1, is if there's some modifications required at the circuit in order to introduce an overtaking possibility. Because at the moment, the fact is that the straight may be long enough, but there's absolutely no way the two cars can enter the corner together -- so it's basically impossible an attempt of overtaking move."Which is a bit of a shame, because I think if overtaking was possible today, we would have had Lando again in the lead, because the pace advantage was significant."In a season where overtaking numbers have been proudly touted by F1 as proof of the success of its new regulations, the lack of passing at the Madring was not lost on the drivers.The Turn 1 and Turn 5 chicanes were seen as slim possibilities before the race, but the layout of both meant it was easy to defend and almost impossible to force a pass without going off the road."It definitely doesn't create overtaking opportunities and it doesn't push you to try and make a move because, just, you know, 80% of the time you might have a contact," Antonelli said. "So, I think especially in the second chicane [on the first lap], if I would have turned in, me and Lando would have touched and probably gone in the wall and blocked the road or, you know, definitely wouldn't have been nice."So, I think there are some corners that need to be changed to create more overtaking opportunities because right now, yes, it's nice over one lap, but for sure in the race, you know, you're just stuck behind."Norris added some flesh to the bones of potential changes, pointing to the final sector of the lap as another area for improvement."I think there are some obvious changes they should make," Norris said. "They should get rid of Turns 18, 19. Useless. Just have more of a straight into a hairpin."I don't know how someone looks at this design and goes, 'Mint.' Yeah, I think there's a lot of opportunity. I think they can make it into a track that's good for racing, and I'm excited to come back here next year if they can make these changes because I think it's a track that is good fun to drive and it can be a great racetrack."To me, it's not a great racetrack. It's great in qualifying, but, you know, straight line from 17 straight to 20, have a much wider entry like Austin Turn 1 or Turn 10 in Austin -- a big hairpin. You know, you'll create much better opportunities for everyone and you'll be able to enjoy the race."So yeah, there are some simple changes and maybe some trickier ones, like Turn 5, 6, 7. It's hard to know exactly what's the best thing. The fact you have to turn and brake basically defeats the whole object of racing. So, they can do some simple changes, I think, easy changes and maybe some more tricky, but I hope they do it because then it should be more exciting for everyone."For all the hype around F1's first grand prix at the Madring, very few left the circuit on Sunday evening feeling satisfied about the grand prix. Even the top three finishers.
