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Hamilton Wins First Race for Ferrari as Antonelli Fails in Barcelona

Ferrari used a three-stop strategy under a Virtual Safety Car which let Hamilton leapfrog Mercedes, thus shrinking the drivers' championship margin.

Overview

  • Lewis Hamilton claimed victory at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix on Sunday, June 14, 2026, executing a three-stop plan and pitting under a Virtual Safety Car to emerge ahead of the Mercedes cars.
  • Kimi Antonelli suffered a late mechanical failure after briefly passing George Russell, which forced his retirement and cut his championship lead to 41 points.
  • George Russell started from pole and finished second while Lando Norris was promoted to third, producing an all-British podium for the first time since 1968.
  • Charles Leclerc also retired late with an apparent power-steering loss, while Ferrari’s upgrade package narrowed its qualifying deficit to Mercedes and improved race pace.
  • The result tightens the title fight, highlights growing reliability and operational risks for teams, and will reshape development and strategy choices ahead of the next round at the Red Bull Ring on June 28, 2026.