Barcelona was the setting for Lewis Hamilton’s first win with Ferrari, as the seven-time world champion took victory at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on 14 June 2026. The result gave Hamilton a record seventh win at Montmeló, moving him past Michael Schumacher’s mark at the track.
The British driver had not won a Grand Prix since Belgium in 2024. This was his 106th career victory, and it also marked the first win of the current season for a non-Mercedes driver. Hamilton finished ahead of George Russell and Lando Norris, completing an all-British podium.
The race also had championship consequences. Kimi Antonelli, who led the standings, retired with three laps remaining, which strengthened Hamilton’s position in the title fight. For Spanish fans, the afternoon brought mixed results, with Carlos Sainz finishing 12th and Fernando Alonso retiring after a difficult home race.
Alonso started from the pit lane after Aston Martin broke parc fermé rules to change electrical components on his AMR26 power unit. His teammate Lance Stroll retired after six laps with a gearbox problem, while Alonso later stopped at turn 9 because of a battery issue. Valtteri Bottas was the second retirement of the day.
Hot conditions, with ambient temperatures of 30°C and track temperatures of 50°C, increased tyre wear and shaped the race strategy. Mercedes chose a two-stop plan, while Ferrari went for three stops. Hamilton’s timing worked in his favour, especially after Alonso’s retirement triggered a virtual safety car that saved him around ten seconds during his pit stop.
Hamilton returned to the track ahead of Russell and, with a tyre advantage in the closing laps, pulled clear to take the chequered flag. Novak Djokovic waved the flag at the finish. Ferrari did not have a perfect day, as Charles Leclerc suffered a late mechanical failure and scored no points for the second race in a row. For more Catalonia-wide Formula 1 coverage, see our news tag.
