SportFormula 1Lewis HamiltonThe Mercedes team principal had something to say about Lewis Hamilton's new partner after his Grand Prix win in BarcelonaBen Pawlowski09:53, 15 Jun 2026Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has hinted that new girlfriend Kim Kardashian may have had a part to play after Lewis Hamilton romped home to win Sunday’s Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion insisted his bid for a record-breaking eighth title was well and truly alive after notching up a first race triumph for Ferrari since joining the iconic Italian outfit in 2025.‌The victory marked Ferrari’s first since Mexico in October 2024 and saw Hamilton, 41, become the oldest Formula One race winner since 1970. The legendary British driver capitalised on a timely Virtual Safety Car (VSC) and the retirement of championship leader Kimi Antonelli to seize control of the race, eventually crossing the line more than 20 seconds ahead of former Mercedes teammate George Russell in second.‌Russell had started the race from pole position and appeared set to continue the German team’s stranglehold on Grand Prix victories so far this campaign. But the retirement of local favourite Fernando Alonso allowed Hamilton – who was running an alternative strategy – to emerge from a quick pit stop in first place before pulling clear to decisively clinch a 106th career Grand Prix win.‌Billionaire team principal Wolff knows Hamilton better than most, having overseen six of his seven titles during a hugely successful spell together at Mercedes. Asked after the race to explain Hamilton’s resurgence following a challenging debut season at Maranello, Wolff pointed to the Briton’s relentless work ethic and the impact of this season’s new regulations“Hard work,” Wolff said. “I think this is a car that is maybe different to the previous era cars with the bouncing, with the stiffness, maybe not easy to feel. And this is back to more conventional driving in terms of at least aerodynamics and vehicle dynamics.‌“Obviously, the engine management is completely different, but you can see he’s driving strong. The dynamics in the team look to be good between him and his race engineer.”Wolff then suggested that Hamilton’s personal life may have helped, including his romance with American reality TV star Kardashian. “I saw him on the podium, on the telly. I mean, that face shows me that he’s very happy,” Wolf said.Article continues below“Maybe the girlfriend helps. Helped me to have a partner that you have a stable family life, and they seem to be getting on really well. I think it’s all of those factors that put together the emotional and the personal and professional perspective. If they are in a good place, you win.”The pair started quietly dating earlier this year and made their first public appearance together at this month’s Monaco Grand Prix.Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.‌Lewis HamiltonKim KardashianFormula 1George RussellAndrea Kimi AntonelliFernando AlonsoMonaco Grand PrixMaranelloMercedes BenzMercedes F1World championsBillionaires