Catalunya, June 14 (IANS) Lewis Hamilton claimed a magnificent maiden Grand Prix victory for Ferrari at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona on Sunday, ending Mercedes’ unbeaten run in the 2026 Formula One season and reigniting his title challenge with a commanding drive.

The seven-time world champion had a well-executed race, finishing ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell and McLaren’s Lando Norris. This victory marked his first Grand Prix win in almost two years and was Ferrari’s best result of the season.

Hamilton’s win came from an aggressive three-stop strategy that proved effective. Ferrari started him on soft tires, which kept him from challenging for the lead at the beginning. However, the Italian team quickly adjusted and committed to a three-stop plan.

A timely Virtual Safety Car gave Hamilton a crucial free pit stop, allowing him to gain a strategic edge. From there, the 41-year-old ran a series of fast laps, steadily pulling away from the Mercedes cars and securing a memorable win.

This result also narrowed the championship leader Kimi Antonelli’s lead after the Mercedes rookie retired late in the race. Russell finished second after a challenging afternoon, during which he briefly lost his position to his teammate before Antonelli’s race fell apart. Norris took the final podium spot for McLaren, marking Formula One’s first all-British podium since 1968.

Red Bull had a mixed outing, with Max Verstappen leading the team in fourth while teammate Isack Hadjar finished sixth. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri placed fifth, separating the two Red Bulls and earning valuable points for the reigning Constructors’ Champions.

Alpine had one of its strongest weekends of the season, with Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto finishing seventh and eighth, respectively. However, Colapinto’s result came under scrutiny after he was noted for a possible yellow-flag violation.

Racing Bulls continued their recent comeback, with Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad clinching ninth and tenth places, giving the team points finishes for the second race in a row.

Gabriel Bortoleto just missed out on points in 11th place for Audi, finishing ahead of home favorite Carlos Sainz, who is headed to Ferrari. Haas driver Esteban Ocon and Cadillac’s Sergio Perez were the last classified finishers. Williams’ Alex Albon limped home in 18th after spending much of the race in the pits due to a technical issue.

The race had an unusually high number of retirements, with seven drivers failing to finish due to various mechanical issues. The most notable retirement was championship leader Antonelli, whose Mercedes stopped with just four laps to go. Ferrari also faced disappointment when Charles Leclerc retired late in the race, preventing the team from achieving a potential double points finish.

Aston Martin had a tough home race, with both Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso retiring. Cadillac also withdrew Valtteri Bottas’ car as a precaution. Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg, who had been running in the points earlier, also failed to finish, while Haas rookie Ollie Bearman became the last retirement of the day.

–IANS

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