Lewis Hamilton claimed victory at the Grand Prix of Catalonia, delivering Ferrari’s first win of the season. The 41-year-old left George Russell (Mercedes) and reigning world champion Lando Norris (McLaren) in his wake, while championship leader Antonelli – who had been running in second place – had to pull over with a mechanical failure late in the race.
Hamilton celebrated his first win since July 2024 and his maiden victory in Ferrari red. He now sits just 41 points behind Antonelli, who had previously secured five straight wins. With 15 races still to go, an eighth world title remains within Hamilton’s reach.
Nico Hülkenberg suffered another cruel blow: the German, starting ninth for Audi, was on course for points but retired at the halfway mark due to a technical failure.
Ferrari’s strategy proved decisive. While Mercedes opted for a two-stop approach, Ferrari pitted Hamilton after just 12 laps for hard tyres, allowing him to immediately up his pace. Just before the halfway point, a second stop for mediums briefly dropped him out of the lead battle.
Meanwhile, Russell and Antonelli’s duel cost both valuable time. On fresher tyres, Hamilton closed the gap at up to two seconds per lap.
When Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin slid into the gravel, triggering a Virtual Safety Car, Hamilton made his third stop with minimal time loss. He rejoined as the leader, with fresher rubber and 24 laps to go.
“Good work, guys,” he radioed to his pit wall. From there, Hamilton was untouchable, controlling the race with authority.
Antonelli overtook Russell for second—only for his Mercedes to let him down. Pole-sitter Russell, who had held firm at the start, ultimately secured the runner-up spot.
At the Barcelona start, where the run to Turn 1 stretches over 700 metres, Russell capitalised on his advantage, but neither Hamilton nor Antonelli found a way through early on. The difference was made by strategy – and a crucial tyre advantage in the final two-thirds of the race.
