It took 31 races, but Hamilton finally broke through for his first win in red at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.
The seven-time world champion delivered a superb drive in Spain, helped by a sharp Ferrari strategy and a well-timed Virtual Safety Car, to claim his 106th Formula 1 victory.
In doing so, Hamilton became the 41st different driver to win for Ferrari in world championship history.
It was also Ferrari’s first grand prix victory since 2024, and a result that ended Mercedes’ perfect start to the 2026 season.
More importantly, Hamilton’s win brought Kimi Antonelli’s dominant run to a sudden halt.
The Italian arrived in Spain on the back of five consecutive victories, having built a commanding 66-point lead at the top of the drivers’ standings, and for much of the race, the damage looked set to be limited.
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Antonelli appeared on course to finish second after making a late move on Mercedes teammate George Russell, which would have ensured Hamilton’s win only made a modest dent in his championship advantage.
But with five laps remaining, Antonelli slowed and pulled to the side of the circuit, recording his first retirement of the season.
In the space of a few laps, Hamilton had gone from making useful ground to slashing Antonelli’s lead from 66 points to 41.
That leaves the 41-year-old less than two race wins away in points terms from the championship leader, reigniting a title push that had looked unlikely after a miserable first season with Ferrari.
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Hamilton failed to score a single podium in 2025 and ended the year sixth in the standings, his second-lowest championship finish across his entire Formula 1 career.
It was a bruising start to one of the sport’s biggest ever driver moves, and raised questions over whether Hamilton would ever return to genuine title contention.
Barcelona offered a very different answer.
The key question now is whether Barcelona was a one-off high or the start of a genuine title charge.
Ferrari’s race pace was emphatic, with Hamilton beating Russell by 19.4 seconds and controlling the final stint once he emerged from his last stop in the lead.
Russell, who had led much of the race before Hamilton’s alternate strategy came alive, conceded Ferrari had shown serious pace.
“Yesterday was a real surprise for us as a team. And then the pace today was insane from Lewis. So yeah, they’re coming I think,” he admitted.
That warning will not be lost on Mercedes.
Antonelli still holds a healthy lead and five wins in a row before Barcelona remains a clear reminder of his form this season.
Even with his late retirement, the Italian remains the benchmark in the standings and has shown a level of consistency and speed that made his championship lead feel increasingly secure before the Spanish weekend.
But Hamilton now has momentum.
After claiming his first Ferrari podium with third in China, Hamilton followed it with second-place finishes in Canada and Monaco before finally ending Ferrari’s victory drought in Spain.
For the first time since his heartbreaking 2021 title defeat to Max Verstappen, Hamilton appears to have a realistic path back into championship contention.
There is still a long way to go, and Antonelli’s 41-point buffer means Hamilton cannot afford many off weekends.
But after Barcelona, the question no longer feels hypothetical.
So in this week’s poll presented by Michelin, we ask you — will Lewis Hamilton overhaul Kimi Antonelli?
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