Hamilton's first Ferrari win a statement to himself and rest of F1

Tennis Legend Djokovic Waves Chequered Flag as Hamilton Secures Victory

Published 8 hours ago

Lewis Hamilton's landmark maiden triumph for Ferrari at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix served as a declaration to himself, the rest of Formula 1, and the global audience.

It resolved the uncertainties Hamilton confessed to occasionally experiencing about his capacity to perform at the highest level of the sport he formerly ruled.

It validated his choice to depart Mercedes in favor of Ferrari.

And it demonstrated that Ferrari could rediscover their winning form following a challenging period that tested both the team and the driver who has now secured their first grand prix victory since Mexico in October 2024.

The outcome was influenced by a virtual safety car that provided Hamilton with an inexpensive pit stop and guaranteed he would emerge ahead of Mercedes drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli.

Yet Hamilton and Ferrari did not require that fortune. Mercedes acknowledged after the race that the seven-time champion would likely have triumphed over them regardless. It would merely have necessitated overtaking their cars on the circuit. Given his speed on fresher tires, however, there was minimal uncertainty that he would have accomplished it.

Hamilton describes Barcelona victory as beyond wildest dreams Published 9 hours ago

Hamilton describes Barcelona victory as beyond wildest dreams

Published 9 hours ago

Hamilton secures first grand prix win for Ferrari Published 12 hours ago

Hamilton secures first grand prix win for Ferrari

Published 12 hours ago

'I permitted it to affect me'

For Hamilton, this represented a moment of vindication following an initial season at Ferrari that caused him to doubt himself and prompted others to question him.

It was distressing to observe him at times last year as he grappled with the bewilderment arising from his diminished speed. He characterized the season as a "nightmare." He described himself as "simply useless." He proposed that Ferrari ought to recruit another driver.

On Sunday, after absorbing the acclaim from his team and fighting back tears on the podium, he disclosed what he had endured to return to his rightful position.

"Following a year like last year," he stated, "there were definitely instances where I thought, 'Gosh, maybe it's accurate that when you reach a certain age, you lose it.' But I've demonstrated that you don't. You always possess it, and it simply demands effort."

The criticism he had faced had wounded him, he acknowledged.

"I mean, I'm only human," he said. "So, there are moments when I see the comments and certainly there are times when I allowed it to affect me and cut deep."

He retreated over the winter, deactivated his social media, and focused on resetting himself.

"The training I undertook was more intense than anything I've ever experienced to maintain my fitness," the 41-year-old explained, "because I believe at the start of last year I sustained an injury here, actually, and carried it for months.

"It's simply about never second-guessing yourself, never doubting yourself. You must continue to believe in yourself at your core. And those are the principles I've managed to reintegrate into my mindset. I've reconstructed my thinking to this point to return myself to where I once stood."

Hamilton is only the fourth driver in his 40s to claim an F1 race victory since 1958, following Graham Hill in 1969, Sir Jack Brabham in 1970, and Nigel Mansell in 1994.

New regulations, renewed outlook, new partner

Lewis Hamilton's partner Kim Kardashian attended the Monaco Grand Prix a week ago

Few individuals understand Hamilton better than Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team principal with whom Hamilton secured six of his seven championships, during which they developed a friendship.

Hamilton's resurgence this year, Wolff stated, was partially attributable to the effort he had invested, partially to the new cars this season suiting him more than those of the previous four years, which featured a distinct aerodynamic design.

Wolff even suggested that Hamilton's new relationship with Kim Kardashian had also contributed.

"Hard work," Wolff said, "and I believe this is a car that is perhaps different from the previous era's vehicles with the bouncing, the stiffness, maybe not easy to sense. And this returns to more conventional driving in terms of at least aerodynamics and vehicle dynamics.

"Obviously, the engine management is entirely different, but you can observe he's driving strongly. The dynamics within the team appear positive between him and his race engineer.

"I saw him on the podium, on the television. I mean, that expression reveals to me that he's extremely happy.

"Perhaps the partner helps. It assisted me to have a companion with whom you have a stable family life, and they seem to be getting along very well. I think it's all those factors combined—the emotional, personal, and professional perspectives. If they are in a good place, you succeed."

To view this video, you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.

This video cannot be played

Hamilton will already be contemplating his next victory

Hamilton does indeed appear to be a different driver this year. Last year, he struggled in comparison to teammate Charles Leclerc, renowned as one of the fastest drivers on the grid, particularly in qualifying.

Hamilton out-qualified Leclerc only seven times last year across all qualifying sessions, over 24 grands prix and six sprints. And Leclerc was 0.15 seconds per lap quicker on average.

Hamilton had also been defeated by George Russell two seasons out of three from 2022 to 2024.

This year, he has appeared significantly more comfortable. The ground-effect aerodynamics and stiffly sprung cars have been relegated to history. These new vehicles resemble those with which Hamilton achieved so much success.

In qualifying this year, Hamilton leads Leclerc 6-4, and in average pace there is virtually no difference between them.

'A jolt to the Ferrari system'

Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur first collaborated in Formula 3

Hamilton also appears to have had an energizing impact on Ferrari. He demanded changes from the team, to the car specifically for himself, but also in attitude and methodology.

In doing so, his voice as a multiple champion was added to what team principal Frederic Vasseur, who was instrumental in bringing Hamilton to Maranello, was already advocating.

"My arrival was a major jolt to the system because I am very, very vocal," Hamilton said.

"If I observe something I don't think is correct, or I push very, very hard, that's at the core of who I am, and I'm relentless about it.

"And I think it's not easy to be on the receiving end of that when you're also managing an entire organization, you know, and a culture that in its own way is set in a certain manner."

Vasseur commented: "The collaboration, we are improving. We know each other, at least Ferrari and Lewis, we know each other a bit more each day. And it's all a matter of details.

"I'm viewing it as a mega good result, mega positive result. Good reward for everybody, for Lewis, for the team in Maranello, for the team on track. But it's not that the situation is completely different compared to last week."

Vasseur declined to take any credit for the rebuilt Hamilton of this season.

"I have zero merit on this," the Frenchman said. "It's more Lewis himself. He was able to bounce back after a tough period of weekends. He was able to recover and do a full reset. To continue to push, to continue to come to the factory on Tuesday morning.

"This commitment is a huge support. Coming from a world champion, it's even more, I would say. It was also a huge motivation for everybody at the factory."

'Hamilton train can be very difficult to halt'

Hamilton's victory, in such convincing fashion, has inevitably prompted questions about what he and Ferrari can go on to accomplish.

The team entered this year with high expectations that the new regulations for chassis and engine could provide them with an opportunity to return to the front.

So six consecutive Mercedes victories at the start of the year, and the obvious fact that Ferrari's engine was lagging behind the best, were an unwelcome surprise.

The Ferrari car was as good as anything else in the corners—perhaps the best—but that was insufficient to compete with Mercedes.

Barcelona changed all that. Ferrari introduced their second major upgrade of the year, following the first at the fourth race of the season in Miami.

And on a track where power is not such a critical component of lap time, it made a decisive difference.

Hamilton was left behind by Antonelli in Monaco a week ago, on a track where power is even less important. But this time he was the fastest driver in the race.

The win—combined with Antonelli's first retirement of the year—places Hamilton 41 points behind the Italian and extends his lead over Russell to nine.

And under F1's engine regulations, Ferrari have been granted two upgrades this season, Mercedes only one. The first could arrive, it is reported, as early as the next race in Austria.

Hamilton has been pursuing that elusive eighth title ever since he lost it in the controversy of Abu Dhabi 2021. To achieve it with Ferrari would be one of the biggest stories F1 has ever witnessed. Can he do it?

"Given the way the year started out, I have not really been thinking about it like that," Hamilton said. "I've not been considering an eighth.

"Mercedes have come out of the gates with a blistering car and blistering pace, both drivers doing such a great job. We know we have this power deficit.

"There are going to be tracks where we go with long, long straights that make it even harder.

"But we've got a great car at the core, and if we keep adding performance and we can go through the corners quicker, maybe we can narrow that deficit down a little bit until we improve or until we close the gap on power."

Wolff stated: "I'd rather not fight with him for a title because I know what he's capable of. If he smells blood, he goes. I've seen it many years where suddenly the Lewis Hamilton train started to move, and then it's very difficult to stop it."