Lewis Hamilton grinned a smile two-and-a-half years in the making. “Jeez, where do I start?!” he told Sky Sports’ Craig Slater, after a day under the Catalunyan sun he had long dreamed of. On Sunday, the 41-year-old claimed his first Grand Prix victory for Ferrari, 686 days since his last triumph at Spa-Francorchamps, leading an all-British podium at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix — the first since the 1968 US Grand Prix, when Jackie Stewart, Graham Hill and John Surtees stood together.
Hamilton, who told Mercedes boss Toto Wolff over lunch in February 2024 he was moving to Ferrari, had waited 28 months for his first win in red. He started from second on the grid but had superior pace throughout the 66-lap race. Ferrari went bold with a three-stop strategy, compared to the more routine two stops from his rivals, allowing Hamilton to rip the bones out of each set of tyres. A late virtual safety car (VSC) allowed him to pit and emerge in front of George Russell, but even before that, Hamilton’s new-and-improved Ferrari — with eight upgrades brought to this race — was the fastest car on track. He converted a two-second lead into a 19.5-second race victory, the biggest margin of victory so far this season.
“Hamilton wins first Ferrari Grand Prix, leading all-British podium in Barcelona, ending 686-day drought.”
Russell finished second and Lando Norris third, completing the first all-British podium since Watkins Glen in 1968. The victory comes just six months after Hamilton’s worst-ever F1 season, when he failed to register a grand prix podium in his first year in red. It solidifies his position in second in the world championship, trailing Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli by 41 points after seven races, following Antonelli’s late retirement. Hamilton’s first Ferrari win — and Ferrari’s first since October 2024 — has fans dreaming of a record-breaking eighth world title.