Lewis Hamilton celebrates his first Ferrari victory in Barcelona

Already on Saturday, the Spaniard Fernando Alonso had triggered an important turning point: His retirement prompted a virtual safety car, which allowed Hamilton a nearly cost-free third pit stop. This tactical freedom paid off and brought the world champion into the decisive position.

Antonelli's bitter retirement

While Hamilton celebrated, the race ended in disaster for the previously dominant Kimi Antonelli. The Italian, who had won the previous five Grands Prix in a row and went into the race with a 41-point lead over Hamilton in the championship standings, had to retire his Mercedes three laps from the finish due to engine problems. Shortly before, he had overtaken Russell and was running in second place when his "Silver Arrow's" power unit failed. His retirement significantly reduces his championship lead.

Behind the front positions, further retirements provided talking points: Nico Hülkenberg was running in the points after 32 laps before a problem with the power unit forced him to retire. Gabriel Bortoleto crossed the finish line in eleventh, collecting at least one position in the midfield.

Hamilton's special Barcelona record

The Spanish Grand Prix was Hamilton's eighth Barcelona victory, further extending his own record at this circuit. In total, the Briton, who has collected seven world championship titles in his career, now stands at 106 Grand Prix wins. With the victory in Barcelona, Hamilton ended a drought that had lasted more than 22 months. His previous Belgian GP win in July 2024 had only been awarded to him after the subsequent disqualification of his then Mercedes teammate.

The first Ferrari victory is also remarkable because Hamilton had only joined the Scuderia roughly one and a half years earlier. The Scuderia itself assessed the success as confirmation of its strategic direction. Hamilton's comment over team radio underscored the emotional significance of the moment for the driver, who was clearly fulfilling a personal dream.

Outlook on the Austrian Grand Prix

Looking ahead to the rest of the season, Hamilton significantly reduced his gap to championship leader Antonelli. The next stop, after a two-week break, is the Austrian Grand Prix in Spielberg, scheduled for 26 to 28 June 2026. There, it will be seen whether Hamilton's triumph in Barcelona signals a turning point in the championship.

The Spanish Grand Prix was broadcast on Deutschlandfunk on 14.06.2026 and is likely to go down in Formula 1 coverage as a turning point of the 2026 season.