Lewis Hamilton’s first Ferrari win would not come out of nowhere
In his thirty first grand prix begin for Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton has lastly taken the Scuderia to the highest step of the rostrum, his first win in two calendar years.
You possibly can’t say it hadn’t been coming. Surrounding himself with an engineering workforce and boasting a SF-26 that he had important enter in, Hamilton has been a very totally different individual this yr, excising his demons this winter following a tough 2025 marketing campaign that introduced him to the brink.
Mercedes had been dominant till this level within the season, however boasting an upgraded Ferrari in Spain, Hamilton and his facet of the storage went for an aggressive three-stop method in Barcelona’s tyre battle, which the seven-time world champion was rewarded for by capitalising on a digital security automotive. That little help from his previous good friend Fernando Alonso would not detract from a race weekend that Ferrari executed to perfection. Hamilton has lastly meshed together with his new workforce, and the end result was going to comply with in the end. Seems, it got here on the first time of asking.
– Fil Cleeren
Antonelli additionally not resistant to unhealthy luck
The season that had been working so easily for Kimi Antonelli was hit by unhealthy luck for the primary time, as he retired with only a handful of laps remaining after pulling off a convincing transfer on George Russell.
That overtake was yet one more reminder that it is not merely Russell’s misfortune that has allowed Antonelli to construct such a commanding championship lead. Repeatedly, Kimi has proven that he can both be faster than his extra skilled team-mate or, on the very least, match him on equal phrases.
Now, that lead within the championship has all of the sudden been reduce by 25 factors. And more and more, it seems that if Antonelli is to face a title problem this yr, it could come not from Russell, however from another person.
– Oleg Karpov
Leclerc faces a brand new problem at Ferrari as Hamilton steps up
Charles Leclerc has lengthy been Ferrari’s crown prince, and that standing was strengthened forward of the Monaco Grand Prix with a brand new multi-year contract. This season, nonetheless, the Monegasque finds himself in a scenario he has not skilled in current months, and even years.
In fact, Leclerc has beforehand needed to battle team-mates similar to Sebastian Vettel and Carlos Sainz, however final yr he comfortably bought the higher of Hamilton regardless of all of the hype surrounding the Briton’s transfer from Mercedes. In 2026, although, the story is totally totally different.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Photograph by: Alastair Staley / LAT Photographs by way of Getty Photographs
Hamilton has gained momentum on the Scuderia, and that not directly places strain on Leclerc as properly, if he needs to ascertain himself as Ferrari’s workforce chief in the long run. The final two race weekends haven’t been nice in that regard. Whereas his crash in Monaco might nonetheless be attributed to brake points, Leclerc admitted within the media pen on Saturday that he was embarrassed by his Q3 crash in Barcelona.
Leclerc nonetheless possesses the uncooked velocity and potential to ship main success for Ferrari, however in the meanwhile he’s looking for solutions with the 2026 automotive, the brakes, and over the past two weekends, with himself as properly. Nothing has modified about Leclerc’s expertise or uncooked tempo — each stay evident — however with Hamilton’s progress, he now has one thing to show.
– Ronald Vording
McLaren nonetheless has work to do to get again into the combat
McLaren appeared to have taken a step ahead firstly of the weekend following a pair of irritating ends in Canada and Monaco, with Lando Norris topping the timesheets on Friday.
Andrea Stella was happy to see the much-discussed entrance wing launched in Monaco lastly start to ship the anticipated beneficial properties after the workforce made a modification to the endplate. Nevertheless, it was not sufficient to place McLaren on the identical stage as Mercedes and Ferrari in Barcelona.
Norris might handle solely fourth place in qualifying and would have completed in that very same place had it not been for Antonelli’s retirement. Oscar Piastri endured an much more tough weekend. The Australian began seventh, completed seventh and by no means regarded genuinely aggressive all through Sunday’s race.
On the very least, McLaren noticed each of its automobiles attain the chequered flag, one thing that has not been a given in current races. But that’s scant comfort for a workforce that has received the latest championships.
– Federico Faturos
Groups determining F1 2026 quirks
That was maybe as near a “regular” Method 1 race as we have seen this season, with virtually not one of the early 2026 developments on show. Slowly however absolutely, groups are determining learn how to optimise begins, and it not appears like Ferrari holds any explicit benefit in that space. Within the opening races, it virtually felt preordained {that a} pink automotive would lead into Flip 1, given how properly the Scuderia was dealing with begins relative to its rivals. However that is not the case – and in Barcelona even the softer tyres did not assist Lewis Hamilton beat George Russell on the run to the primary nook.
Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls
Photograph by: Andy Hone/ LAT Photographs by way of Getty Photographs
Maybe Barcelona merely is not the appropriate observe for it, however yo-yo racing additionally did not materialise. There have been overtakes, however not one of the back-and-forth battles that turned a trademark of the opening races of the season.
Whether or not that is an excellent factor or a nasty factor is one thing everybody can determine for themselves.
– Oleg Karpov
Pictures from Barcelona-Catalunya GP – Sunday
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