The Red team wins with the Englishman after 34 grands prix. According to Russell, Antonelli and Leclerc forced to retire
The fast lasted 34 grands prix and ended thanks to Lewis Hamilton. Ferrari returns to win a grand prix and does so thanks to the Englishman who is seven times world champion. 2025 was a black year for both the red team (not even a victory) and the Englishman (never on the podium), but 2026 is the year of redemption for the Maranello team, which has always been competitive in the previous six grands prix, and especially for Lewis, second in Montecarlo and triumphant in Montmelò. “I worked with them, a lot, to get back to myself and help them get back into contention for victories.” A new, rediscovered Lewis, so similar to Hamilton who won more than anyone in Formula 1. And in the end, at the seventh round of this uncertain and unpredictable season, his first victory with the Cavallino also arrived. In Barcelona, where the Briton had already won six times in his career, he won the seventh and reached 106 Grands Prix won in Formula 1.
The race
Throughout the weekend, Hamilton drove very well and in the race he chose an aggressive tactic of three more stops, while the Mercedes chose to make two. And then you always need that bit of luck, given by the unpredictability of Formula 1. This time it was the Safety car that helped Ferrari, which came onto the track following Alonso’s accident. Hamilton was the only one to pit for the multiple stop, and with the new tires his Ferrari flew away. Behind him, the duel at Mercedes was won by George Russell after Antonelli overtook him, but Kimi had a car problem and had to retire. Same fate for Leclerc who was fifth, a black weekend for him too. With the victory in Barcelona, Hamilton rises to 115 pointswhile Antonelli remains leader at 156.
Hamilton’s happiness
“I must start by saying thanks to Ferrari, to everyone who works in the factory. To Fred (Vasseur; ed.) for bringing me into this team. I started with a dream last year, then an impossible year passed, but we never gave up hope, the team always tried to keep my morale up, we brought improvements and if this wasn’t enough I have the best fans in the world and we achieved everything we dreamed of together.” Irrepressible Lewis Hamilton. These are the first words after the historic success in Barcelona, which interrupts a negative streak of lack of victories for the red team that had lasted since Mexico 2024when the last one to win was Carlos Sainz. For Hamilton it is the first success of his career with Ferrari, number 106 of his career: “How do I put this in the ranking? They are all special in their own way, but this one really has something unique. I hope it is the first of many, but today the car was fantastic.”
