Lewis Hamilton secures maiden Ferrari win in Barcelona as Antonelli retires late

Lewis Hamilton delivered a masterful drive to claim his first victory for Ferrari at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona, ending a 40-race drought and denying Mercedes a 1-2 finish. The seven-time world champion led a British podium sweep, as championship leader Kimi Antonelli retired late, handing third to Lando Norris.

A race of strategy

Hamilton and Ferrari committed to an aggressive three-stop plan from the start, using soft tyres against Russell and Antonelli on mediums. Ferrari pitted Hamilton first in each round, forcing Mercedes to react. The decisive moment came under a virtual safety car, which allowed Hamilton to make his final stop and emerge ahead of Russell. With fresher tyres, Hamilton built a comfortable gap and controlled the finish.

We have our chance.

Late drama and a British podium

Behind Hamilton, the race unravelled for Mercedes. Antonelli overtook teammate Russell for second with five laps remaining, only to suffer a terminal failure immediately afterwards and retire. His exit promoted Russell back to second and elevated Norris to third, securing the first all-British podium since 1968. Charles Leclerc, who started 10th after a qualifying crash, also retired late with a technical issue.

Grazie a tutti, thank you so much, you've helped me achieve this dream, and I can't thank you enough. To my family, I love you, and to the fans: thank you for continuing to remind me who I am.

Championship fallout

Hamilton’s victory moves him to second in the drivers’ standings, now trailing Antonelli by 41 points after seven races. Max Verstappen finished fourth, while Oscar Piastri, Isack Hadjar and Pierre Gasly completed the points. Fernando Alonso, in what he called probably his final race at the circuit, also failed to finish. The sold-out weekend drew 301,273 fans across three days, with 124,870 on race day.