HAMILTON WINS FOR THE FIRST TIME AT FERRARI FOR HIS 106TH RACE WIN

Round seven of this years World Championship, saw Formula One come to Barcelona, Catalunya and what a race it delivered. A race that as ever this year was tipped to be a fight between the two Mercedes drivers but its was the scarlet red Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton who takes his first victory in Ferrari and his 106th career win in Formula One, extending the record by one. Pole sitter George Russell finishes second alongside reigning World Champion Lando Norris who claims third place due to late retirements.

Pole sitter George Russell got away well and keeps the lead into turn one ahead of Hamilton who held onto second place with Championship leader Kimi Antonelli holding third ahead of Lando Norris in fourth.

The first retirement came just six laps in and it was for Canadian driver Lance Stroll in his Aston Martin who is forced to retire with a gearbox issue.

Ten laps later on lap sixteen the Cadillac of Valtteri Bottas is called into retire the car, making it two retirements in a matter of laps.

The third retirement came in the form of Nico Hulkenberg in the Audi who was running well at the bottom end of the points is retired with an engine issue after what looked like it could have been a good race for the German driver.

The drama really started forty laps in when the second Aston Martin of home hero Fernando Alonso has stopped on the side of the track. With the Aston Martin stranded on the side of the track the VSC is deployed to recover the Aston Martin. This created the perfect put window for Ferrari who at the time were a pit stop behind the others after starting on the soft tyres and on lap forty two the VSC ends as Lewis exits the pit lane ahead of Russell - a race defining moment for Lewis who looked the class of the field all race.

On lap forty three Alex Albon is pitted to fix his roll hoop camera. The Williams driver comes back out eight laps down. The Williams was never likely to score points.

With just five laps left on lap sixty one Antonelli gets past Russell for second place with George almost pushing him off the track down the start finish straight. But that wouldn't last long as on the very next lap Antonelli pulls over - his engine has GONE! The championship leader falls to a mechanical failure for the first time this season and all while this happens the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc has lost his power steering and is going slowly and is eventually retired after being able to make it back to the pits.

Antonelli being on the side of the track brings out the VSC which ends on the penultimate lap to give Lewis a full power lap of racing to cross the line first for the first time in a Ferrari.

106 wins in Formula One but this one feels a little more special than the rest. Its Hamiltons first win since Belgium, 2024 and the first all British podium since the US Grand Prix 1968.

The next race is the Austrian Grand Prix.

COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER: Under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. All images are owned by Formula One.