Motorsport · Barcelona
Hamilton breaks 686-day drought with maiden Ferrari win in Barcelona as Antonelli retires
Lewis Hamilton secured his first win since July 2024 and his first as a Ferrari driver at the Spanish Grand Prix, while championship leader Kimi Antonelli retired with engine trouble, cutting his points lead to 41.
AI text based on reports by SRF News, Süddeutsche Zeitung, N-tv and other publishers. Published . How it is made
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In brief
The seven-time champion won for the first time since July 28, 2024, and took his first race in Ferrari colours after 686 days without a victory.
Hamilton, Russell and Norris made it three Britons on the rostrum for the first time since 1968.
Series leader Kimi Antonelli suffered an engine failure while running second, ending his five-race winning streak and reducing his championship lead to 41 points.
Fernando Alonso’s retirement triggered a VSC that allowed Hamilton to make a cheap final pit stop and control the finish.
- 14 JunLap 38: Hamilton takes the lead after Russell and Antonelli complete their own second stops.
- 14 JunVirtual safety car deployed as Alonso retires with a defect; Hamilton pits with little time lost.
- 14 JunAntonelli retires from second place with an engine problem, handing Mercedes a double DNF in the lead fight.
Lewis Hamilton ended a 686-day victory drought at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Sunday, taking his first Formula 1 win for Ferrari and the 106th of his career. The seven-time world champion executed a three-stop strategy that paid off when a virtual safety car, triggered by Fernando Alonso’s retirement, let him pit with minimal time loss and cruise to the flag.
“Emotionally we gave him support and told him: we’re behind you, let’s start again.”
The podium
Behind Hamilton, his compatriot George Russell took second for Mercedes, with reigning world champion Lando Norris third for McLaren. All three drivers are British, marking the first all-UK podium since 1968.
Antonelli’s heartbreak
The race turned dramatic for championship leader Kimi Antonelli. The 19-year-old Italian had won five consecutive grands prix but was forced to park his Mercedes while running second after a sudden engine problem late in the race. His retirement allowed Hamilton, now second in the standings, to close the gap to 41 points with 15 rounds remaining.
Strategy and luck
Russell started from pole position and led the opening stint, but Ferrari’s gamble on a three-stop plan for Hamilton proved decisive. Hamilton pitted on lap 12, again on lap 28, and then took the lead when the two Mercedes drivers made their own stops before lap 38. Moments later, Alonso’s stricken Aston Martin brought out a virtual safety car, giving Hamilton a cheap third stop and a comfortable cushion to the finish.
Further back
Nico Hülkenberg was on course for his first points of the season in the Audi but retired with a power-unit problem shortly after the halfway mark. Pierre Gasly’s Alpine, meanwhile, had been awarded third in Monaco five days after the race following a timing-system protest, but the Frenchman never featured at the front in Barcelona.
What’s next
The championship resumes after a two-week break at the Austrian Grand Prix in Spielberg from June 26 to 28.
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Sources and context
- SRF NewsFormel 1: GP Barcelona - Hamilton siegt erstmals im Ferrari - Antonelli muss aufgeben
- Süddeutsche ZeitungFormel 1 in Barcelona: Lewis Hamilton siegt erstmals im Ferrari
- N-tvGewaltige Erlösung: Lewis Hamilton feiert großen Sieg, Antonelli fliegt ab
- DIE WELTMercedes ausgebremst: Erster Ferrari-Triumph für Hamilton
- Lewis Hamilton
- Seven-time Formula 1 world champion driving for Ferrari, winner of the Spanish Grand Prix
- George Russell
- Mercedes driver, pole sitter and second-place finisher in Barcelona
- Lando Norris
- Reigning Formula 1 world champion driving for McLaren, finished third
- Kimi Antonelli
- Championship leader for Mercedes, retired from second place with an engine failure
- Fernando Alonso
- Aston Martin driver whose retirement triggered the race-deciding virtual safety car
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Audi driver who retired with a power-unit issue while running in the points
- Toto Wolff
- Mercedes team principal who spoke about supporting Russell ahead of the race
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