From driving on rails to cooking traditional dishes – 8 moments you might have missed at the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix

Another race weekend and another masterclass from Kimi Antonelli, who won the Spanish Grand Prix in its first edition at the Madring.

An element of luck in the Virtual Safety Car timing allowed the Mercedes driver to move past McLaren’s Lando Norris, while a pit stop under the VSC also benefited Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who finished second behind the Italian youngster.

It was a solid race for Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, finishing fourth after leading the race for more than 30 laps, but home hero Carlos Sainz had to retire his Williams, while another Spaniard, Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin, finished only in 17th place.

However, the weekend in Spain’s capital has been equally full of action off track – here are some of the moments you might have missed.

Driving around Madrid in style

Madrid is hosting Formula 1 for the first time in more than four decades.

And Red Bull wanted to let the entire town know that Formula 1 was in town over the weekend, putting the 2012 World Championship-winning car RB8 back on track...quite literally.

The car was driven through Madrid’s rail tunnels on specially designed wheels as part of the On Rails project that began in the city six months ago. It will definitely be one of the enduring images of the maiden Grand Prix at the Madring.

A new look for Williams

A special Grand Prix required a special look – and Williams harked back to an old look, with a new livery and race suits inspired by their championship-winning car FW07C, which raced at Jarama, Madrid, in 1981.

The 1981 season saw a memorable performance from Williams, with the outfit taking home the Teams' honours with drivers Carlos Reutemann and Alan Jones taking second and third in the Drivers' Championship.

Whilst the 2026 running of the Spanish Grand Prix didn't go their way, it was still a future inspired by a great past.

Football enters the paddock…

It’s not possible to avoid the football world when in Madrid. Both past and current players made sure to leave their mark in the paddock over the weekend.

Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto of Alpine had a special chauffeur around Madrid – former Real Madrid player and manager, French legend Zinedine Zidane.

And former Spain internationals enjoyed some padel fun at Madring. Iker Casillas, Fernando Llorente and Raul Gonzalez joined Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari for a few rallies.

After that Hamilton and Leclerc also headed to the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, home of Real Madrid, to show off some football skills.

Max Verstappen's paddock souvenir came courtesy of Atletico Madrid pair David Hancko and Jan Oblak, as the four-time World Champion scored one of their famed red-and-white stripped jerseys. Madrid was certainly the perfect place for a football-F1 crossover.

Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, midfielder Jude Bellingham, defender Trent Alexander-Arnold and forward Vinicius Jr were among those trading the Bernabéu for the Spanish Grand Prix paddock.

Accustomed to performing in front of packed stadiums, the football stars looked right at home, soaking up the atmosphere and joining the crowds eager to witness history as Formula 1 returned to the Spanish capital.

Spanish tennis royalty in the house

It wasn’t just football stars making their way through the paddock. With Formula 1 returning to Madrid for a landmark weekend, 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal was never likely to miss the chance to witness a moment of sporting history in his home country.

The Spanish tennis legend was spotted at the circuit alongside his father, Sebastián Nadal, taking in the atmosphere as fans packed the venue for the long-awaited return of Grand Prix racing to the capital.

New chefs in the house!

Can you really spend time in Spain and not try to cook a tortilla? Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas had their own culinary moment in Madrid.

“Cheltteri” took on one of Spain’s most iconic culinary challenges: the tortilla flip. While it might look simple, flipping a Spanish tortilla without turning it into a scrambled mess requires plenty of confidence, technique and a steady hand.

Judging by their efforts, the pair had clearly been paying attention, showing off some impressive skills as they embraced the local culture away from the track. After a weekend in Spain, it seems they’ve become just as adept at flipping tortillas as they are at handling their Cadillac F1 machinery.

Special helmets for the Madring debut

As the Madring made its debut in Formula 1, several drivers wanted to mark the occasion with a custom-designed helmet for the weekend.

Alonso turned heads before a wheel had even been turned thanks to a special all-black helmet created by BOSS. A showcase of style meets speed, the helmet made for a bold fashion-forward statement from the two-time champ.

Sainz marked his home race with a helmet that was as much a tribute to his journey as it was to Spain itself. Wrapped in the colours of the Spanish flag, the special design celebrated the occasion of racing in Madrid while also looking back at the milestones that shaped his career.

References to his very first kart race in 2005 were woven into the artwork, alongside nods to the achievements of his father, two-time World Rally Champion Carlos Sainz Sr.

Norris took a different approach to his Madrid special helmet, collaborating with local artist Sandra Del Pilar and inviting her to "represent the city through her eyes".

The finished design was a striking mix of vivid colours and artistic flourishes inspired by Madrid's character, turning the McLaren driver's helmet into a colourful masterpiece.

An alpine skier with an Alpine driver?

Pierre Gasly found himself in good company in Madrid as he met Olympic and World Champion skier Bode Miller. The pair traded stories from their respective sports, comparing the thrill of carving through snow with the challenge of threading an F1 car through a high-speed corner.

While skis and race cars might seem worlds apart, it made for a fitting meeting between two competitors who have built careers on speed.