The Mercedes winning streak has finally been broken! Lewis Hamilton has given himself and Ferrari their first win of the season at the Barcelona-Catalunya GP.

Hamilton crossed the finish line with a comfortable gap over George Russell, who also redeemed himself with a P2 finish, while Lando Norris rounded out the podium. 

Not only does this race mark a British podium lockout for the first time since 1968, but it also makes Hamilton the only driver to win a race for both Ferrari and his former team, Mercedes, at the same venue. 

The race began with Russell on pole, who did well to contain Hamilton from passing him initially. While Hamilton chose to go with soft tires, both Mercedes drivers began with mediums.

Within the first few laps, Lando Norris and Max Verstappen complained of tire issues, and by Lap 12, the front-runners started to pit, with Hamilton and Russell being among the first. 

Russell, in particular, was concerned about having lost his position to Kimi Antonelli yet again. Charles Leclerc was leading at this time, but he soon fell back as Russell reclaimed the lead once again. 

Here’s what the leaderboard looks like:

During the race, there were plenty of moments where Antonelli and Russell once again played cat and mouse for positions before their crew intervened on the radio, warning them of competitors catching up. 

However, it was a combination of brilliant strategy, timing, and a bit of luck, as Hamilton pitted during the Virtual Safety Car prompted by Fernando Alonso’s crash.

With 24 laps to go, he drove out of the pits and was two seconds ahead of Russell just as the VSC got lifted. He then clocked some very fast laps and crossed the finish line with a gap of nearly 19.5 seconds. 

Another VSC was prompted on Lap 62 due to two separate incidents. Kimi Antonelli slowed down due to what is being reported as his end plate breaking into pieces. Simultaneously, Leclerc also drove onto the gravel, with a power steering issue reported. 

The Dream That Seemed Impossible For Lewis Hamilton

At the post-race ceremony, Hamilton was seen misty-eyed but elated, and deservedly so. This is not just his first Ferrari win but the Scuderia's first victory since Carlos Sainz’s performance at the 2024 Mexico GP.  And more than anything, it broke the frustrating 40-race winless streak for Hamilton. 

Speaking at the post-race ceremony, Hamilton said, “I started out a dream last year which seemed almost impossible during my time last year, but we never gave up hope, and the team just continued to lift me up.

"We made so many changes, and we made so many improvements, and on top of that, I’ve got the greatest fanbase a sportsman could ever ask for. Thank you, thank you to everybody.”

Meanwhile, teammate Leclerc, whose race ended in disappointment yet again, acknowledged the victory and the team’s efforts, while also adding he wished he had stayed in the lead a little longer. 

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Written by

Aaradhya Singh

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason