Lewis Hamilton delivered one of the drives of his career to claim his first Barcelona Grand Prix victory with Ferrari on Sunday, ending a 40-race, 686-day wait for a win that dates back to Belgium in 2024. The moment was enormous — and the timing, with championship leader Kimi Antonelli suffering a late engine failure, has blown the title race wide open.
Barcelona Grand Prix Victory Ends Hamilton’s Long Wait
At 41 years old, Lewis Hamilton is now the oldest Formula 1 race winner since Jack Brabham claimed victory back in 1970. That statistic alone tells you everything about what Sunday meant. Starting on soft tyres from second on the grid — his best qualifying result in Ferrari colours — Hamilton gambled early, pitting on Lap 12 of 66. Mercedes mirrored the move with George Russell on Lap 13, and the strategic chess match was underway.
Russell had looked commanding throughout and genuinely appeared on course for his first win since the season opener. However, the critical moment arrived on Lap 41 when Fernando Alonso pulled over and triggered a virtual safety car. Ferrari pounced instantly, bringing Hamilton in for his third stop. He emerged two seconds clear and never looked back, with race engineer Carlo Santi urging him on with the words: “This is the critical moment, give everything, we have our chance.” Hamilton delivered exactly that. Follow all the latest F1 standings and race results at the official Formula 1 website.
Antonelli’s Engine Failure Shakes Up the Championship
Meanwhile, the Antonelli story became one of heartbreak. Kimi Antonelli had his five-race winning streak snapped in the most brutal fashion — an engine failure on Lap 61, just moments after he had fought past Russell for second. The 18-year-old had been everywhere in this race: nimble, aggressive, and desperately unlucky. His championship lead over Hamilton consequently tumbled from 66 points down to 41.
Furthermore, the mid-race radio tension inside the Mercedes garage was palpable. Russell was visibly rattled after Ferrari’s early undercut, snapping at his engineer: “You could have given me a heads up, you’ve exposed me to Kimi now!” Team principal Toto Wolff must have had flashbacks to 2016 on this very circuit, when his title contenders Hamilton and Nico Rosberg famously collided. Ultimately, Russell held on to finish second before Antonelli’s engine stole the headlines. BBC Sport has full analysis of the championship picture heading into the next round.
Lando Norris rounded out the podium in third, with Max Verstappen finishing fourth. It was also Ferrari’s first race win since Carlos Sainz’s victory in Mexico City in 2024. Barcelona has delivered a season-defining twist — and Hamilton is back.
