MONTMELO, Spain (AP) — Lewis Hamilton won his first race since joining Ferrari two years ago while Formula 1 leader Kimi Antonelli broke down at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix on Sunday.
Hamilton increased his record win haul to 106 career victories with his first since the Belgian GP in July 2024 while he was still with Mercedes.
“They are all special in their own way, but this one is something else,” Hamilton said about the importance of a victory
that ended a run of 40 races without a win.
“I watched Ferrari have all this success when I was younger and wondered what it would be like to win in this car. And now it has come true.”
The seven-time world champion took advantage of fresher tires and a superior pitstop strategy by Ferrari to overtake the pole-sitting George Russell, who finished second in his Mercedes.
Antonelli had passed his Mercedes teammate when his car came to a stop on the track with just four laps to go. He had won five races in a row.
Hamilton broke Mercedes’ grip on the top spot of the podium this season, which had lasted six races.
“Thank you so much to help me achieve this dream,” Hamilton said on team radio after crossing the finish line more than 19 seconds ahead of Russell. “Thank you for everyone pushing so hard at home, thanks to my family, and to my fans who continue to remind me who I am. I couldn’t have done this without you.”
He then stood on his car, pumped his fist and sprinted to leap into the arms of his thrilled engineers and pit crew members.
It is Hamilton’s seventh win at this track, a record at Montmelo but his first here since 2021.
The 41-year-old Hamilton had been on the rebound with Ferrari this season after a miserable 2025 with the Italian squad, when he didn’t finish on the podium and only celebrated a sprint race win.
He was building toward this long-awaited victory with runner-up finishes at Canada and Monaco. He said he had set the “foundation” with Ferrari before he qualified second ahead of Antonelli for the Barcelona race.
Ferrari opted for a three-stop strategy to give Hamilton fresher tires on a track that is known to be hard on rubber, especially with track temperatures at 50 Celsius (122 F). The quicker wheels had him slip ahead of Russell, who, like Antonelli, was on a two-stop plan, when a bit of luck sealed it for Hamilton.
A stoppage by Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin brought out a virtual safety car, and Ferrari called in Hamilton for his final stop while his rivals couldn’t push the pace, and he emerged in the lead with a fresh set of tires.
Seeing Hamilton slip away, Russell was left to protect his position from Antonelli. They had jousted earlier in the race, before Antonelli swept past with four laps to go.
Moments later, it all unraveled for the 19-year-old when his car stalled and his shot at 18 points vanished.
Antonelli still leads with 156 points, but Hamilton has closed the gap and now has 115 with Russell on 106.
Defending F1 champion Lando Norris was third in his McLaren, ahead of Max Verstappen for Red Bull in fourth. Oscar Piastri, who won here last year, was fifth in the other McLaren.
___
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
