Lewis Hamilton delivered a landmark drive at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix on Sunday, capturing his first victory for Ferrari and ending Kimi Antonelli’s five-race winning streak in a dramatic swing in the 2026 title fight.
The seven-time world champion, now 41, became Formula One’s oldest winner since Jack Brabham in 1970 and secured his 106th career victory in a race that blended strategy, attrition and timing. It was also Ferrari’s first win since 2024 and Hamilton’s first triumph since Belgium last year, breaking a 41-race drought that dated back to his final season with Mercedes.
Antonelli, the 19-year-old Mercedes sensation and championship leader, looked in control of second place before a late electrical failure forced retirement with five laps remaining. The setback cut his championship lead over Hamilton to 41 points after seven rounds and marked Mercedes’ first defeat of the season.
George Russell salvaged second for Mercedes after briefly losing track position late in the race, while McLaren’s reigning champion Lando Norris completed the podium. It was the first all-British top three since the 1968 United States Grand Prix, a rare historical echo on a modern stage.
Hamilton crossed the line 19.561 seconds clear of Russell after a race defined by Ferrari’s aggressive strategy calls and a well-timed virtual safety car triggered by Fernando Alonso’s late retirement. That intervention allowed Hamilton to take a cheap third stop and return on fresher tyres, a decisive move that sealed the win.
