Hamilton celebrates his first Ferrari victory in Barcelona and ends a 686-day drought

Antonelli's defect opens the door

George Russell, who was contesting his 100th race for Mercedes at the Barcelona race, led at the halfway point and had to settle for second place in the end. On the podium, Russell later said Hamilton was a "echte Gefahr" in the title fight. Sky expert Ralf Schumacher added that Russell now had to subordinate himself in the intra-team duel, which would "auch innerlich brechen" him.

Hamilton himself could hardly believe his luck after crossing the finish line. In the finish area, he jumped around euphorically with his mechanics, who celebrated him with "Lewis, Lewis" chants. On the podium, he was able to enjoy a champagne shower on the top step after 686 days, accompanied by some "Bravissimo" calls from the crowd. The Italian sports newspaper Tuttosport headlined the next day "Roter Hammer".

Emotional words after 686 days

The Brit subsequently spoke openly about the difficult phase that had preceded his triumph. "Es begann mit viel Begeisterung (Sprint-Sieg in China, Anm.), dann folgten ein ganzes Jahr lang viele Zweifel und viel Negativität", Hamilton looked back on the setbacks since his move to Ferrari. In the winter he had trained harder than ever before, he explained.

Hamilton also admitted that there had been moments when he had doubted himself. "Sheesh, vielleicht stimmt es ja, dass man, wenn man einen bestimmten Punkt erreicht, es nicht mehr draufhat." But then he had proven that this was not true. "Man hat es immer noch drauf, es erfordert nur Arbeit", said the veteran. This realization was also an answer to critics.

Wolff between respect and anger

Hamilton also delivered a sideswipe at the sometimes fierce criticism from the internet. McLaren driver Lando Norris, who is also a world champion, said in the paddock: "Viele Leute haben schlecht über ihm geredet, und er hat online von vielen Seiten ordentlich sein Fett wegbekommen – da ist es schön, dass er ihnen allen den Mittelfinger zeigen kann." Hamilton himself stressed: "Man darf sich nie selbst hinterfragen, nie an sich zweifeln. Man muss weiter voll an sich glauben."

Toto Wolff, long-time team boss of Mercedes and a native of Vienna, congratulated his former driver with a mixture of respect and gallows humor. "Er hat so lange gewartet und so hart gearbeitet", said Wolff, adding: "Ich würde lieber nicht gegen Lewis um den Titel kämpfen. Denn ich weiß, wozu er fähig ist." About Hamilton's partner, who is mentioned in the facts but not named, Wolff joked that a stable partnership had also helped him to manage his own career.

Wolff, however, also had reason for annoyance. Mercedes had entered the weekend with six consecutive wins, and this streak came to an abrupt end in Barcelona. Wolff spoke on ORF of a "Scheißrennen" for his team. He pointed out that the internal battle between Russell and Antonelli had cost "irrsinnig viel Rennzeit" and emphasized: "Man kann keine Meisterschaften gewinnen, wenn die Autos ausfallen." His team had to rethink the internal rules, "weil wir jetzt einen echten Gegner haben".

Schumacher comparison and Tifosi ecstasy

The comparison with his own past almost forced itself upon the day of the victory. Exactly 30 years before Hamilton's Barcelona triumph, Michael Schumacher had celebrated his first Ferrari victory at the same place. The parallel was received with favor in the Scuderia. Ferrari team boss Frédéric Vasseur, who had brought Hamilton to Maranello, spoke of a "Sache von Details" that had ultimately made the difference.

Hamilton's victory was also the result of a clever race strategy and a fortunate coincidence: a virtual safety car phase, which became necessary due to Antonelli's defect, played into the Ferrari driver's hands. Up to that point, Hamilton had closed the gap to the leaders bit by bit. In the end, it was the first Ferrari victory since October 2024, which caused enthusiasm among the Tifosi and in the paddock.

Championship standings before Spielberg: 41-point difference

A look at the standings shows how close the title fight could now become. Before the Austrian Grand Prix in Spielberg, Antonelli's lead over Hamilton was still 51 points. After the Barcelona weekend, this gap has melted to 41 points. This means that the 19-year-old, who is 22 years younger than his British rival, is still the leader, but must now expect Hamilton to play a serious role in the championship calculation again.

Antonelli himself was disappointed but sporting after his retirement. "Es tut weh, aber ich freue mich vor allem für Lewis", said the Italian. "Das gehört zum Rennfahren dazu", emphasized the 19-year-old, adding: "Er hat so lange auf diesen Sieg für Ferrari gewartet, das hat er absolut verdient." These words underlined the respect that exists between the two drivers despite the tough battles.

Hamilton's contract with Ferrari runs in the medium term, but in sporting terms he has set a clear exclamation mark with the Barcelona victory. He knew that the championship was not yet decided, he said: "Es ist noch nicht vorbei, so viel ist sicher." About his arrival at the team, he also said: "Meine Ankunft war ein Schock für das System, weil ich meine Meinung sehr, sehr deutlich äußere."

Already the day after the race, attention turned forward. The eighth round of the season takes place at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, a track that also suits Hamilton well. Wolff warned in the meantime: "Wenn er Blut riecht, dann greift er an. Wenn der Lewis-Hamilton-Zug erstmal gestartet ist, dann ist er schwer zu stoppen." Vasseur and the Ferrari management know that the bar is higher after this emotional weekend in Barcelona.

Not only in sporting terms, but also personally, the day in Catalonia was a special one for Hamilton. "Ich habe daran geglaubt, was dieses Team erreichen kann, was wir gemeinsam erreichen können", he said. The initial euphoria after the sprint victory in China had given way to a long drought, but in the end patience had paid off. Looking at his childhood dream, he said overjoyed: "Ich wollte schon als Kind in einem Ferrari gewinnen, das ist großartig."