At 41, Lewis Hamilton Gives Ferrari Its Barcelona Victory

At forty-one years old, Lewis Hamilton became the oldest driver to win a Formula 1 race since Jack Brabham in 1970. The seven-time World Champion delivered his first victory for Ferrari at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, bringing the Scuderia back to the top step of the podium for the first time since the 2024 Mexico City Grand Prix.

Hamilton arrived in Spain with two consecutive second-place finishes. After qualifying between the two Mercedes drivers, the team committed to a three-stop strategy under the hot Spanish sun. The decision allowed Hamilton to build a significant lead, and a well-timed Virtual Safety Car for his final pit stop let him rejoin the race in first place. He finished nearly 20 seconds ahead of the field.

A Tale of Two Fortunes

The day unfolded differently for Kimi Antonelli. The 19-year-old Mercedes driver entered the weekend with five straight wins and a 66-point lead in the championship standings. After qualifying third, he spent much of the race managing his tyres and battling his teammate, George Russell.

Antonelli made a pass on Russell for second place with just five laps remaining. A lap later, his Mercedes suffered a mechanical issue, leaving him stranded and ending his race. It was his first failure to finish this season, and it prompted Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff to question the team's reliability and whether the intra-team fight had cost them a potential victory against Ferrari.

Podiums and Problems

Antonelli's retirement promoted Lando Norris to the podium. The McLaren driver had secured P4 in qualifying and ran a steady race, earning his first top-three finish since Miami. With Hamilton winning and Russell finishing second, the result was an all-British podium, the first since 1968. Norris's teammate Oscar Piastri also benefitted, claiming P5.

While one side of the Ferrari garage celebrated, the other endured more frustration. Charles Leclerc’s difficult weekend began with a crash in Q3 after a sudden snap sent his car into the barrier. The team repaired the car, allowing him to start P10. He fought his way up to sixth before his own mechanical failure, reporting a loss of power steering as his car rattled over the gravel. It was his second consecutive retirement.

The weekend also saw victories for Rafael Camara in the F2 Feature Race for Invicta Racing and Theophile Nael in F3 for Campos Racing. The track drew its share of notable guests, with Olympic medallists Chris Hoy and Steve Redgrave in attendance. Former footballer Patrick Kluivert was on the grid before watching the Netherlands' World Cup match, while MotoGP riders Marc Marquez and Pedro Acosta took in the action on their weekend off.

As Hamilton’s Ferrari crossed the finish line, tennis star Novak Djokovic was on hand to wave the chequered flag, making it to the race just before heading to London for Wimbledon.

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