Lewis Hamilton secured his first victory with Ferrari at the Barcelona Grand Prix on Sunday, but the seven-time world champion will be unable to defend his win next year due to a rotation in the Formula 1 calendar.
The 41-year-old finished nearly 20 seconds ahead of Mercedes' George Russell at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, marking his first triumph in almost two years and the 106th win of his illustrious career. Hamilton, who currently sits second in the driver standings after four podium finishes in seven starts, was emotional after fulfilling his dream of winning with the Italian team.
However, F1 announced in February that the Barcelona circuit will host races in 2028, 2030, and 2032 as part of a multi-year extension, but its spot in the schedule will rotate with the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa in 2027, 2029, and 2031. This means F1 will not return to Catalonia until 2028, denying Hamilton the chance to target back-to-back victories next year.
Hamilton, who is under contract with Ferrari until 2027, dismissed retirement talk last month. "I'm still in contract so everything's 100 per cent clear to me. I'm still focused, I'm still motivated, I still love what I do with all my heart," he said ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix in May. "There are a lot of people trying to retire me and that's not even on my thoughts. I'm already thinking of what will be next and planning for the next five years. But yeah, I still plan to be here for some time."
Reflecting on his Barcelona victory, Hamilton said: "First, I have to start and say a huge 'grazie' to everyone here, everyone back at the factory, and to Fred [Vasseur] for believing in me and bringing me to this team. I started out a dream last year which seemed almost impossible during my time last year. I nearly gave up hope, but the team continued to lift me up. We made so many changes and improvements and, on top of that, we have just the greatest fanbase a sportsman could ever ask for. So thank you, thank you to everybody."
Discussing where the win ranked in his career, Hamilton added: "They're all special in their own way, but this one is something else. I watched Ferrari have all their success when I was younger, watched it on the TV, and then when I've been racing here I've watched the screens and wondered what it would be like to win in that car. And now it's come. Everyone worked so hard for it and truly deserves it, I'm forever grateful to them. This is just the first, I hope of many. Great pit stops today, great strategy. The car felt fantastic. Forza Ferrari!"
Hamilton will aim to double his win tally with Ferrari at the Austrian Grand Prix later this month.
