Barcelona Grand Prix predictions as F1 experts assess Kimi Antonelli’s bid for sixth straight win

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Formula 1 heads to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for Round 7 of the 2026 season this weekend, and our experts have shared their predictions for the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli arrives in Spain as the man to beat after continuing his record-breaking campaign in Monaco. The Mercedes driver secured a fifth victory, becoming the first driver in Formula 1 history to take his first five wins consecutively.

After taking pole position, Antonelli delivered a flawless performance around the streets of Monte Carlo, leading every lap and setting the fastest lap to complete a maiden Grand Slam. Behind him, however, chaos unfolded as Max Verstappen failed to get off the line and several drivers were forced to retire with technical issues.

A late Safety Car was deployed after Lance Stroll crashed at Anthony Noghes, before Charles Leclerc found the barriers at the same corner shortly after the restart, bringing out a red flag while officials inspected the track.

Despite the interruptions, Antonelli remained composed to lead the field home following the standing restart, finishing ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Pierre Gasly. However, Gasly was later handed a 10-second time penalty, dropping him to seventh and promoting Isack Hadjar onto the podium for the first time as a Red Bull driver.

READ MORE: Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix 2026: How to watch, F1 race and qualifying times and weather forecast

Kimi Antonelli is going for his sixth straight win at the Barcelona GP. Who’s your pick for the top step of the podium?

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Who will take pole position for the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix?

David Comerford – George Russell: He’s been outclassed recently, but Miami and Monaco are pretty unique circuits. This is a more conventional race track, and that could allow Russell to reset. He’s shown enough this year to make me think he can stop the Antonelli train running away.

Kyle Archer – Andrea Kimi Antonelli: The Mercedes show will almost certainly continue at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix. And it is hard to suggest that George Russell will be the Silver Arrow shooting to the top of the timesheets in qualifying, given the record-setting run of form that Andrea Kimi Antonelli is enjoying and on the back of securing pole in Monaco.

Ashley Hambly – George Russell: The struggling Briton has always been in good form upon his arrival at Montmelo, so where better to pick himself up off the ground than the Barcelona Grand Prix? Kimi Antonelli’s dominance can’t last forever, so I expect Russell to have an answer this weekend in Spain.

Tyler Rowlinson – George Russell: Barcelona has to be the weekend when Russell snaps out of the rut he’s currently in and gets back to form. Mercedes will still be the dominant force, and Russell cannot sit back and let Antonelli batter him again. I’m backing the Brit to get back on his feet and take pole.

Aaditya Krishnamurthy – Max Verstappen: I’m going a little outside of the box here. Verstappen was so close to securing pole in Monaco, only to be beaten by Antonelli. And performing at a track that means so much to his career, having won his first Grand Prix in Barcelona 10 years ago, Verstappen will be motivated to start the race on the front row.

Rebecca Braybrook – Andrea Kimi Antonelli: It may seem like a safe pick at this point, but Kimi Antonelli continues to justify the backing. I was the only member of the team to tip him for pole and victory in Monaco, and he delivered once again. The Mercedes driver has shown all season that he’s willing to push the car to its limits in qualifying, and with his confidence at an all-time high, I’m backing him to secure pole position in Barcelona.

Which drivers will stand on the podium at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix?

David Comerford – Russell, Antonelli, Norris: Russell will hang on against Antonelli for a much-needed victory, although we could see another intense battle between the two drivers. Monaco aside, McLaren have looked quicker than Ferrari since Japan, so I think they’ll return to form here with Norris taking the final podium spot.

Kyle Archer – Antonelli, Russell, Hamilton: As long as George Russell takes the chequered flag on Sunday, he should get a podium in the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix. But Andrea Kimi Antonelli will feel confident about his chances of becoming only the sixth driver to get six straight Grand Prix wins. Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton will also like his chances of a podium.

Ashley Hambly – Russell, Antonelli, Hamilton: If Russell is able to keep the lead into turn one, then it should be plain sailing from there. I think Antonelli will limit the amount of damage by still taking home a P2, with Lewis Hamilton continuing his fine form by claiming the final spot on the podium.

Tyler Rowlinson – Russell, Antonelli, Hamilton: Fresh off pole, I think Russell will bounce back in the best possible way and take the win in Barcelona. It will be a close fight between the Mercedes pair, and also Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari, but Russell will get the edge over Antonelli, and Hamilton’s podium streak will continue.

Aaditya Krishnamurthy – Hamilton, Antonelli, Verstappen: I think this is where Antonelli’s streak of consecutive race wins comes to an end. For the first time in years, Hamilton has the momentum on his side, even with Antonelli winning the previous races. As for Verstappen, Red Bull’s engine issues could cost him a little, but I can see the Dutch driver securing a podium finish.

Rebecca Braybrook – Antonelli, Hamilton, Russell: It feels risky to back Kimi Antonelli for another victory given he’s already won five races in a row, but the Mercedes driver continues to find ways to raise the bar. His form has been exceptional this season, and I’m backing him to extend his winning streak in Barcelona. Lewis Hamilton should once again be his closest challenger in second, while George Russell completes the podium in third.

Which car will be first to retire at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix?

David Comerford – Fernando Alonso: You have to play the percentages here and go for Aston Martin. Alonso seems to be one of the unluckiest drivers on the grid, so I’ll predict a brutal early DNF on home soil.

Kyle Archer – Oscar Piastri: Predicting which driver will retire first in the 2026 Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix is a lottery. But given the recent run of reliability problems that have plagued McLaren, Oscar Piastri could see his return to the venue where he won the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix from pole position finish early, if he even starts in Barcelona this week.

Ashley Hambly – Fernando Alonso: With F1 now returning to a more traditional circuit, I can’t see Aston Martin being able to compete among the top 10 again. Once he realises, I think the Spaniard will be returning to the garage at his earliest convenience.

Tyler Rowlinson – Esteban Ocon: It feels like the luck of the draw with this, so I’m going completely random and saying Ocon. I can see there being contact at some point at the start, and unfortunately, I have the Haas driver being the victim of it.

Aaditya Krishnamurthy – Valtteri Bottas: The Cadillac drivers have had to deal with some reliability issues these last few races, and I expect that to continue in Barcelona. Bottas has had some bad luck this year, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he was the first driver to return back to the paddock.

Rebecca Braybrook – Valtteri Bottas: I’m hoping Cadillac have managed to get on top of their reliability problems ahead of the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, but I’m not convinced a single week will have been enough to completely solve them. While the Spanish circuit is far less demanding than Monaco, the team’s recent struggles are difficult to ignore, and I think one of the Cadillac drivers will be the first to retire from the race.

The Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix will not return until 2028. Will you miss the iconic circuit next year?

Barcelona and Spa will alternate each year through 2032

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Which driver will be the biggest surprise at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix?

David Comerford – Gabriel Bortoleto: When you look at Audi’s results, it’s amazing how often they skirt around the edges of the points without quite making it. Things are bound to fall their way eventually, and I think that will happen this weekend with Bortoleto picking up a top-seven or top-eight finish.

Kyle Archer – Oliver Bearman: Form has started to elude Oliver Bearman of late, with the Haas driver only scoring one point through the last four rounds with his P10 in Canada. But the Briton could bounce back in Barcelona from his retirement in Monaco by achieving his best result since he sealed P5 in China, given that the two tracks offer a lot of similarities.

Ashley Hambly – Nico Hulkenberg: Hulk has been teetering on the edge of a solid result for the entirety of the current campaign, and Barcelona will hopefully provide him with his first real opportunity of doing exactly that. I think another P11 finish might send him over the edge.

Tyler Rowlinson – Carlos Sainz: It might not be so much of a surprise, seeing as he is on Spanish soil, but the Williams is not a good package. In Barcelona, with the home crowd behind him, I reckon Carlos Sainz could be in with a shout for points here.

Aaditya Krishnamurthy –Arvid Lindblad: Even though his finish in the points at Monaco was partly due to the stoppages and retirements, it was the first bit of success Lindblad has experienced after his season couldn’t carry forward the momentum of his strong debut. Lindblad could find himself in the points again, this time due to his own driving ingenuity.

Rebecca Braybrook – Fernando Alonso: Fernando Alonso will be desperate to deliver a strong result in front of his home crowd this weekend. Admittedly, the Spaniard benefited from the chaos in Monaco to score his first points of the 2026 season, but there were still encouraging signs from Aston Martin. I think Alonso has enough pace to reach Q2 once again and could find himself battling on the fringes of the points at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.