Lewis Hamilton, the legendary seven-time Formula One world champion, finally gave Ferrari the moment they’ve been eagerly anticipating. The 41-year-old British driver celebrated his first Grand Prix victory with Ferrari at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, marking the end of a long wait since he joined the iconic Italian team. Hamilton showcased a masterful and strategic performance, clinching the 106th win of his illustrious Formula One career. This victory not only snapped Mercedes’ unbeaten streak this season but also reignited Hamilton’s quest for the championship. A perfectly timed Virtual Safety Car and Ferrari’s daring race strategy were key factors in Hamilton’s memorable win, finishing ahead of George Russell and Lando Norris.

Hamilton said in his post-race interview immediately after the race “I started out with a dream last year, which seemed almost impossible during my time last year. But we never gave up hope. The team just continued to lift me up. We made so many changes and so many improvements. On top of that, I’ve got the greatest fan base a sportsman could ever ask for. Thank you, thank you to everybody.”

The race kept everyone on the edge of their seats for much of the afternoon. Mercedes seemed to have the upper hand as Russell led from pole position, with teammate Kimi Antonelli hot on his heels. However, Ferrari opted for an aggressive three-stop strategy for Hamilton. The gamble paid off when a Virtual Safety Car came into play, allowing him to make his final pit stop with minimal time loss and maintain his position on the track. From that point on, Hamilton capitalized on his fresher tyres, pulling ahead to comfortably take the chequered flag.

‘This is our moment’ - Lewis Hamilton makes his mark with Ferrari

Ferrari's confidence in Hamilton's speed became evident as the race unfolded. Starting on soft tires, he chose a different approach compared to the Mercedes duo, who kicked off on mediums. His early pit stops gave him the chance to push with fresher tires, gradually closing the gap to the front runners. By the time we hit the middle of the race, Hamilton was clocking in gains of about two seconds per lap on both Russell and Antonelli.

The pivotal moment came on Lap 40 when Fernando Alonso had to retire, leading to a Virtual Safety Car. At that point, Hamilton was in the lead but still needed to make one last pit stop. Ferrari quickly called him in, and thanks to the reduced time loss during the VSC, he managed to rejoin the race ahead of both Mercedes drivers.

His race engineer Carlo Santi summed up the opportunity over team radio with a clear message: “This is our moment.”

Hamilton hit back by turning in a flurry of quick laps on the race’s restarts. In doing so, he soon built a lead that surpassed double digits as the race reached its final few laps. Antonelli was briefly the highest placed Ferrari in second before experiencing an electrical issue with four laps to go and retiring, handing second place to Russell while Norris secured third.

The win saw Hamilton cut his deficit to champion Antonelli down to just 41 points. This victory also signified the team’s first win at a Grand Prix since their victory at the Mexico Grand Prix in 2024 as well as their first in Spain since 2013. Most importantly, however, it gave Hamilton his first triumph as a Ferrari driver.