Hamilton Wins First Ferrari Grand Prix in Dramatic Barcelona-Catalunya Race Lewis Hamilton secured his first victory for Ferrari in a dramatic Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, with championship leader Kimi Antonelli retiring from second place with four laps remaining. The race, marked by strategic shifts and mechanical failures, saw Hamilton overcome a challenging pit-stop strategy to claim the win. Antonelli’s retirement, caused by an electrical shutdown, handed the victory to Hamilton and secured Ferrari’s first win in Spain since 2013. The race began with Hamilton starting from pole position, but the battle for the lead quickly shifted as Mercedes drivers George Russell and Antonelli took the front. Russell, who had converted his pole into a lead at the start, initially dominated the race, but Hamilton’s different pit-stop strategy allowed him to gain ground. The turning point came on lap 11, when Hamilton pitted for soft tires, while Russell and Antonelli remained on medium compounds. Mercedes’ decision to delay their pit stops, despite knowing Hamilton’s plan, gave him an early advantage. As the race progressed, Hamilton’s strategy proved critical. On lap 27, he pitted for a second time, allowing him to retain the lead while Russell and Antonelli continued their battle. Antonelli, who had just overtaken Russell for second place, began to close the gap to Hamilton, but the two drivers were warned to avoid wasting time on their duel. Russell, meanwhile, stayed on a two-stop strategy, while Hamilton’s three-stop approach left him vulnerable to the fresher tires of the Mercedes cars. The race took a dramatic turn on lap 40 when Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin retired at Turn Nine, prompting the deployment of a virtual safety car (VSC).#ferrari #mercedes #lewis_hamilton #kimia_antonelli #barcelona_catalunya
