Hamilton’s first Ferrari win finally arrived on Sunday. The Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona handed Lewis Hamilton his 106th career victory and his first since Belgium in 2024. Hamilton crossed the line 19.5 seconds clear of George Russell, with Lando Norris completing an all British podium for McLaren. After months of waiting, Ferrari finally has the result it signed Hamilton for.
Saturday told a different story. George Russell took pole with a 1:14.679, ahead of Hamilton in second and Kimi Antonelli in third for Mercedes. Charles Leclerc crashed in Q3 and started tenth, while Fernando Alonso began from the pit lane after a power unit change. Consequently, Ferrari went into Sunday with one car on the front two rows and the other buried in the midfield.
Hamilton’s first Ferrari win was built on strategy as much as pace. Russell led from pole, but Ferrari pulled Hamilton onto an early stop that kept him in touch. Furthermore, when Alonso retired with a battery issue near lap 41 and triggered a Virtual Safety Car, Ferrari reacted instantly. Hamilton’s second stop came under the VSC, and he emerged ahead of Russell with a lead that grew past ten seconds.
However, the closing laps brought chaos behind Hamilton. Antonelli passed Russell for second in a contact filled move, then retired minutes later with a mechanical failure. The same Virtual Safety Car period ended Leclerc’s afternoon too, with a power steering failure forcing him out of the race. As a result, Norris inherited the final podium spot for McLaren, while Ferrari’s second car finished the day in the garage.
Moreover, the result carries weight far beyond one afternoon. Hamilton’s first Ferrari win ends a personal victory drought stretching back to Belgium in 2024 and gives the team its first win of the season.
Meanwhile, Antonelli’s retirement proves costly for the championship leader, resulting in a significant loss of points. The outcome gives Hamilton and Ferrari valuable momentum heading into the next round. For Mercedes, Sunday’s late drama overshadowed what had been a promising afternoon.
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