Lewis Hamilton took a momentous first full-length F1 race victory in red with Ferrari on Sunday, beating George Russell to the chequered flag at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.
Russell returned to the Catalonian track with a vengeance this weekend after losing out on P2 in the drivers’ standings to Hamilton as a result of a P12 finish in Monaco last time out.
The 28-year-old headed into the 66-lap race with the upper hand over team-mate and championship leader Kimi Antonelli but neither driver was able to take the fight to Hamilton after Ferrari played a blinder with a cheap pit stop under a virtual safety car on lap 42.
Two-time champion Fernando Alonso stopped at Turn 9 on lap 40, triggering a virtual safety car which handed Hamilton and the Scuderia a dream opportunity to come into the pits.
Hamilton then regained track position at the front of the pack just as the virtual safety car ended before storming off into the distance on the hard tyre with Mercedes failing to find an answer to his astonishing pace.
The 41-year-old’s victory in Barcelona brings an end to his grand prix win drought which lasted 686 days until today, Sunday, June 14.
Russell can at least take away the positive that he finished ahead of Antonelli for the first time since the season opener in Australia, crossing the line in P2 after a close battle resulted in the Italian teenager picking up damage on his front right tyre.
On lap 62 Antonelli’s engine then cut out entirely leaving him stranded on track and triggering yet another virtual safety car.
As if that wasn’t enough drama, Hamilton’s team-mate Charles Leclerc then lost power steering shortly after, bringing an end to his race in yet another disappointing result for the Monegasque.
Reigning champion Lando Norris managed to recover a disappointing weekend for McLaren after crossing the line in P3, making for an all-British podium for the first time since 1968.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took P4 and Oscar Piastri rounded out the top five on a historic day for Hamilton who broke the track record for most wins.
The now 106-time grand prix winner has moved ahead of Michael Schumacher in the history books after stealing his seventh race win at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya 20 seconds ahead of his nearest rival.
Hamilton can now bask in podium glory and enjoy F1’s pricey champagne from the top step of the podium in what marks his first race win since the 2024 Belgian GP with Mercedes and Ferrari’s first win since Carlos Sainz was victorious at the 2024 Mexican GP.
F1 2026 Barcelona Grand Prix Results
| Position | Driver | Team | Time/Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | WINNER |
| 2 | George Russell | Mercedes | +19.561sec |
| 3 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +23.719sec |
| 4 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +40.497sec |
| 5 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +58.661sec |
| 6 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | +1 LAP |
| 7 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +1 LAP |
| 8 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | +1 LAP |
| 9 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +1 LAP |
| 10 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | +1 LAP |
| 11 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | +2 LAPS |
| 12 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | +2 LAPS |
| 13 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | +2 LAPS |
| 14 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | +3 LAPS |
| 15 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | DNF |
| 16 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | DNF |
| 17 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | DNF |
| 18 | Alex Albon | Williams | DNF |
| 19 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | DNF |
| 20 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | DNF |
| 21 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | DNF |
| 22 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | DNF |
