Lewis Hamilton is back on the winning trail in Formula One. The seven-times world champion has won his first race in almost two years and he is confident that Ferrari can help him mount a serious challenge for the 2026 drivers championship.
Barcelona Victory
In the moments after Lewis Hamilton jumped out of his Ferrari and celebrated the 106th Grand Prix win of his magnificent career in Barcelona on Sunday, fellow drivers made a point of offering their congratulations. Most gave Hamilton, a popular veteran on the grid, a hug. Max Verstappen only offered a hand-clasp but smiled, said a couple of nice words and sounded almost sincere and almost warm when he later praised Hamilton and Ferrari.
“Congrats Lewis Hamilton, first win in red,” Verstappen posted on social media. It is fair to say Hamilton’s relationship with Verstappen - not so much frosty but ice-cold - has thawed over the past few years. But whenever the two are seen together, it is hard not to think back to 2021 and the time Verstappen deprived Hamilton of a record-setting eighth world drivers’ championship. But, of course, the Dutchman would not have deprived Hamilton of officially becoming the Greatest Of All Time without the help of race director Michael Masi, who was later removed from his position. It was a deep injustice. Since then, the chances of Hamilton, now 41, getting that magical eighth title have appeared to become slimmer and slimmer.
Title Prospects
After that 2021 season, Hamilton had to wait until 2024 for his next Grand Prix win and after successes at Silverstone and Spa that year, he went until last weekend without another victory. In four and a half years, he has won three races. But the manner of his triumph in Barcelona, the pace he showed, and perhaps more significantly, his demeanour this season, has raised the very serious prospect of Hamilton winning that eighth title. He is 41 points behind Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, who leads that table after winning five of the seven races this year.
After the cancellation of the races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, there are 15 more scheduled for this season - plenty of time for Hamilton to overhaul Antonelli and stay ahead of the young Italian’s team-mate, George Russell. The Ferrari has now established itself as a serious rival to the Mercedes, in terms of speed, and Hamilton, settled in his relationship with Kim Kardashian, looks remarkably rejuvenated.
Form and Momentum
After being consistently out-qualified by team-mate Charles Leclerc last season, Hamilton has the edge this season. He has more podium finishes than Leclerc (4-2). He has a higher average speed. And his victory in Spain followed second-placed finishes in Canada and Monaco, so you could not say it was unexpected. With Antonelli not finishing in Barcelona, questions are being asked about Mercedes' reliability. In a couple of races, the Grand Prix comes to Silverstone, where Hamilton has won a record nine times.
There is, of course, still a long way to go in the title battle but just having Hamilton in the mix at this stage of proceedings is a huge boost for Formula One. He remains one of its biggest stars, if not THE biggest star. He has been written off so many times over the years that have passed since that day in Abu Dhabi. At times, he seems to have been on the verge of writing himself off. But Hamilton is back, make no mistake. And his quest for that magical eighth world title could be THE sporting story of the year.
