BARCELONA, Spain — Lewis Hamilton secured a magnificent maiden grand prix victory for Ferrari in Barcelona to bring Mercedes’ 2026 winning streak to an end.
Hamilton beat George Russell’s Mercedes to the checkered flag, while point leader Kimi Antonelli failed to finish the race.
Although Ferrari’s initial choice to start the Briton on soft tires didn’t help him take the lead on the opening lap, they gambled on a three-stop strategy which played out flawlessly as Hamilton gained a free stop under a Virtual Safety Car.
He delivered a series of stunning laps to gradually increase his advantage over the Silver Arrows and claim his first win in nearly two years, cutting down Antonelli’s lead in the standings at the same time.
“We made so many changes and we made so many improvements, and on top of that I’ve got the greatest fanbase a sportsman could ever ask for. Thank you, thank you to everybody,” Hamilton said after his 106th Formula 1 triumph.
“I watched Ferrari have all that success when I was younger, watching it on TV, and as I’ve been racing here I’d always watch the screens and wonder what it would be like to win in that car, and it’s come,” Hamilton added. “Everyone worked so hard for it, everyone truly deserves it, so I am forever grateful to them and this is just the first I hope of many. But great pit stops today, great strategy, the car felt fantastic, and forza Ferrari.”
Russell was forced to settle for second, while Lando Norris took third for McLaren, marking the first all-British podium since 1968.
Red Bull were fourth and sixth, with Max Verstappen outperforming Isack Hadjar, while Oscar Piastri secured fifth to take a solid points haul for the reigning Constructors’ champions.
