Lewis Hamilton wins maiden Ferrari race at Spanish GP, ends Mercedes’ unbeaten run

Lewis Hamilton delivered a masterclass at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona on Sunday, clinching his first-ever victory for Ferrari and ending Mercedes’ unbeaten run in the 2026 Formula One season with a commanding drive.

The seven-time world champion produced a controlled and clinical performance to finish ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell and McLaren’s Lando Norris. The win marked Hamilton’s first Grand Prix victory in almost two years and Ferrari’s strongest result of the season so far.

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Hamilton’s triumph was built on an aggressive three-stop strategy that proved decisive. Ferrari initially started him on soft tyres, which limited his early progress, but quickly shifted to a more aggressive race plan as the strategy unfolded.

A timely virtual safety car further boosted his race, allowing a crucial free pit stop that gave him track position. From there, Hamilton pushed hard with a series of rapid laps, steadily pulling away from the Mercedes drivers to secure 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.

(With agency inputs)