"This is a day I'll never forget," claims Hamilton after his magical maiden Ferrari victory.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton delivered a landmark performance as he claimed his first victory in Ferrari colours, a triumph built on bold strategy and relentless pace during his last stint.
15 Jun 2026
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical
After climbing from the car, Hamilton spoke with unmistakable emotion about the significance of the moment. “This is an incredibly special moment. Winning my first race with Ferrari is something I've dreamt about since I was a child, and to finally achieve it feels incredible,” he said, openly acknowledging the difficult path that had led him to this point.
“There were moments last year when this moment felt almost impossible, but I’m so grateful to Fred for believing in me and everyone there for making me feel so at home. We’ve been working so hard all year and so many things have changed over the past months, and today is the result of all that effort," noted Hamilton. "The upgrades we brought this weekend performed exactly as we hoped, the car felt great, and the team executed everything perfectly. The pitstops were fantastic and every detail was handled brilliantly.”
He also highlighted the unique emotional dimension of winning for Ferrari. “I've been fortunate enough to experience many special moments in my career, but this one is different. Ferrari has the greatest fans in the world and seeing their passion, their energy and their support makes this victory even more meaningful. This is a day I'll never forget, and I hope it's the first of many wins that we can celebrate together.”
"I'll never forget";
https://www.f1technical.net/news/28712
Stopping the 'Hamilton train' will not be easy, says Wolff
15 Jun 2026
The Straits Times
Lewis Hamilton is in the Formula One title reckoning and will be hard to stop now that he is a grand prix winner with Ferrari, according to his former Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff. "I'd rather not fight with him for a title because I know what he's capable of. If he smells blood, he goes," Austrian Wolff told reporters when asked about the great who won six of his titles with Mercedes. "I've seen it many years where suddenly the Lewis Hamilton train started to go and then it's very difficult to stop it." The Briton struggled last season, openly describing himself as "useless" and even telling Ferrari to find someone else. He had wondered if he still had what it takes and whether he would win again, but Sunday was all the proof he needed.
This season has been very different, with Hamilton galvanised by new rules and a willingness at Ferrari to make changes he has requested. Wolff suggested a new relationship with celebrity Kim Kardashian, who accompanied him in Monaco this month, was also playing a part. "The dynamics in the team look to be good, between him and his race engineer (Carlo Santi). I saw him on the podium, on the telly. That face shows me that he's very happy," said the Austrian. "Maybe the girlfriend helps...that you have a stable family life, and they seem to be getting on really well. I think it's all of those factors that put together the emotional, personal and professional perspective."
“Lewis Hamilton train started to go and then it's very difficult to stop it";
https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/...he-hamilton-train-will-not-be-easy-says-wolff
Hamilton has found joy -- and success -- again with Ferrari
14 Jun 2026
Nate Saunders
ESPN.co.uk
Lewis Hamilton can remember being a kid, lunch on his lap, watching Michael Schumacher win Formula 1 races for Ferrari, dreaming of one day doing it himself. On Sunday, he finally did it. "Just been reminded that it was 30 years ago that Michael won," a beaming Hamilton said after the race, his eyes twinkling as if he was back in his hometown of Stevenage in England.
"I would have been at home on my couch watching that race, probably like many of you, and with a plate on my lap, eating like a sandwich, or maybe chicken noodle soup or something like that. I was 12. And, yeah, just looking at that red car and thinking, 'I wonder what it's like sitting in that red cockpit?'" He paused and laughed, remembering one of his few grievances with Ferrari's fast-improving 2026 car.
"My cockpit happens to be white, which I've not been too happy about," he said. "I wanted [it] to be red like Michael's. I'll get it back red at some stage. But, yeah, [wondering] what it would be like to sit in that red car ... then be in that red suit, standing in first place in front of that amazing crew who was singing the national anthem. It was really amazing to witness and to see the joy in their eyes and to feel it with them. I nearly passed out after I hugged them. My heart was exploding with joy."
‘Dreaming of one day doing it himself’;
https://www.espn.co.uk/racing/f1/st...a-grand-prix-lewis-hamilton-ferrari-win-means
Everything that made Lewis Hamilton's first Ferrari F1 win possible
14 Jun 2026
SCOTT MITCHELL-MALM
The Race
The magnitude of Hamilton's first grand prix win for Ferrari, and first since July 2024, can only be properly understood by appreciating the recovery arc. It completes an impressive turnaround from his first year with the team, which turned out to be one of Hamilton's most disappointing seasons in F1. He failed to score a grand prix podium for the first time in his career, as the promise of an early sprint race pole and win in China turned out to be a false dawn. After that point in 2025, this union never looked like it was on a trajectory leading to success, which led to a lot of scrutiny over Hamilton's position.
"I'm only human," he said. "There's moments where I see the stuff and for sure there's moments where I allowed it to get to me and penetrate deeply." As world champion Lando Norris observed after the Barcelona race, Hamilton's taken "a lot of crap" and "it's nice he can stick the middle finger up to all of them". The biggest thing that's changed to facilitate that is F1 as a whole. The prospect of brand new rules freeing him from limitations specific to the ground-effect era was a hypothesis rooted in hope rather than expectation - something else Hamilton admitted.
But these cars definitely suit him better. The way they move around and what they can cope with under braking are a better match for how Hamilton wants to attack corner entries. It's fair to conclude these cars allow him to perform more consistently at his best and, though it has to be considered a blot on his copybook for not adapting better to the previous rules, it should also be recognised that Hamilton's peak is still clearly very high. "After a year like last year, there was definitely moments that I was like, 'Sheesh, maybe it is true that, when you get to a certain point, you lose it'," he said. "But I've proven that you don't."
‘Everything’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/lewis-hamilton-first-ferrari-f1-win-what-made-it-possible/
Lewis Hamilton delivers menacing ‘right team’ verdict after maiden Ferrari F1 win
14 Jun 2026
Anirban Aly Mandal
Motorsport Week
Now, the seven-time World Champion has made a menacing admission. “The team, they’ve been so kind. We come back to the garage after a difficult race and they’re like ‘Don’t worry, next time’,” he said answering a question from Motorsport Monday.
“They’re just so supportive through it all. For sure, results like this change everything and reinstate if there is a lack of confidence. I hope that’s this was a convincing gap and race. I think that it’s been happening over the last few races. The changes that I’ve asked for all of last year have been made. I now have the right team around me and I’ll have the right car around me and now I can start doing what I do best.”
‘Menacing ‘right team’ verdict’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026...-after-maiden-ferrari-win-at-f1-barcelona-gp/
Barcelona GP conclusions: Lewis Hamilton rediscovered, hidden Russell defeat, new Leclerc crisis
15 Jun 2026
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com
Lewis Hamilton has spoken a lot this year about his mission to, as he puts it, “remember who I am.” An interesting turn of phrase, the implication being that the last few years – not just his first season with Ferrari in 2025 but the period stretching all the way back to the trauma of Abu Dhabi 2021 – had in some way changed him. Not merely a lack of results, but a loss of identity. A different driver, yes, but perhaps a different man too.
Where once he oozed confidence and certainty, like all the truly great drivers, suddenly even he found himself needing some convincing. Is it the car that’s the problem here? Or – gulp – might it be me? It has been an ongoing process this season, this gradual journey of self-rediscovery helped by a steady stream of podiums in the most effective machinery he has had this side of 2021. Yet it wasn’t until around halfway through Sunday’s Barcelona Grand Prix that everything finally clicked back into place.
The moment came on Lap 34 when Lewis, with energy in his voice once again, asked his race engineer Carlo Santi if he was catching the Mercedes cars of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli ahead. “You are catching really well,” came the reply. “Keep pushing, keep pushing.” A sniff. That’s all it was. But sometimes that’s all it takes. That’s all a competitor of this intensity needs to hear for those old instincts to start firing up again.
“You are catching really well”;
https://www.planetf1.com/features/barcelona-grand-prix-2026-conclusions
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton delivered a landmark performance as he claimed his first victory in Ferrari colours, a triumph built on bold strategy and relentless pace during his last stint.
15 Jun 2026
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical
After climbing from the car, Hamilton spoke with unmistakable emotion about the significance of the moment. “This is an incredibly special moment. Winning my first race with Ferrari is something I've dreamt about since I was a child, and to finally achieve it feels incredible,” he said, openly acknowledging the difficult path that had led him to this point.
“There were moments last year when this moment felt almost impossible, but I’m so grateful to Fred for believing in me and everyone there for making me feel so at home. We’ve been working so hard all year and so many things have changed over the past months, and today is the result of all that effort," noted Hamilton. "The upgrades we brought this weekend performed exactly as we hoped, the car felt great, and the team executed everything perfectly. The pitstops were fantastic and every detail was handled brilliantly.”
He also highlighted the unique emotional dimension of winning for Ferrari. “I've been fortunate enough to experience many special moments in my career, but this one is different. Ferrari has the greatest fans in the world and seeing their passion, their energy and their support makes this victory even more meaningful. This is a day I'll never forget, and I hope it's the first of many wins that we can celebrate together.”
"I'll never forget";
https://www.f1technical.net/news/28712
Stopping the 'Hamilton train' will not be easy, says Wolff
15 Jun 2026
The Straits Times
Lewis Hamilton is in the Formula One title reckoning and will be hard to stop now that he is a grand prix winner with Ferrari, according to his former Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff. "I'd rather not fight with him for a title because I know what he's capable of. If he smells blood, he goes," Austrian Wolff told reporters when asked about the great who won six of his titles with Mercedes. "I've seen it many years where suddenly the Lewis Hamilton train started to go and then it's very difficult to stop it." The Briton struggled last season, openly describing himself as "useless" and even telling Ferrari to find someone else. He had wondered if he still had what it takes and whether he would win again, but Sunday was all the proof he needed.
This season has been very different, with Hamilton galvanised by new rules and a willingness at Ferrari to make changes he has requested. Wolff suggested a new relationship with celebrity Kim Kardashian, who accompanied him in Monaco this month, was also playing a part. "The dynamics in the team look to be good, between him and his race engineer (Carlo Santi). I saw him on the podium, on the telly. That face shows me that he's very happy," said the Austrian. "Maybe the girlfriend helps...that you have a stable family life, and they seem to be getting on really well. I think it's all of those factors that put together the emotional, personal and professional perspective."
“Lewis Hamilton train started to go and then it's very difficult to stop it";
https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/...he-hamilton-train-will-not-be-easy-says-wolff
Hamilton has found joy -- and success -- again with Ferrari
14 Jun 2026
Nate Saunders
ESPN.co.uk
Lewis Hamilton can remember being a kid, lunch on his lap, watching Michael Schumacher win Formula 1 races for Ferrari, dreaming of one day doing it himself. On Sunday, he finally did it. "Just been reminded that it was 30 years ago that Michael won," a beaming Hamilton said after the race, his eyes twinkling as if he was back in his hometown of Stevenage in England.
"I would have been at home on my couch watching that race, probably like many of you, and with a plate on my lap, eating like a sandwich, or maybe chicken noodle soup or something like that. I was 12. And, yeah, just looking at that red car and thinking, 'I wonder what it's like sitting in that red cockpit?'" He paused and laughed, remembering one of his few grievances with Ferrari's fast-improving 2026 car.
"My cockpit happens to be white, which I've not been too happy about," he said. "I wanted [it] to be red like Michael's. I'll get it back red at some stage. But, yeah, [wondering] what it would be like to sit in that red car ... then be in that red suit, standing in first place in front of that amazing crew who was singing the national anthem. It was really amazing to witness and to see the joy in their eyes and to feel it with them. I nearly passed out after I hugged them. My heart was exploding with joy."
‘Dreaming of one day doing it himself’;
https://www.espn.co.uk/racing/f1/st...a-grand-prix-lewis-hamilton-ferrari-win-means
Everything that made Lewis Hamilton's first Ferrari F1 win possible
14 Jun 2026
SCOTT MITCHELL-MALM
The Race
The magnitude of Hamilton's first grand prix win for Ferrari, and first since July 2024, can only be properly understood by appreciating the recovery arc. It completes an impressive turnaround from his first year with the team, which turned out to be one of Hamilton's most disappointing seasons in F1. He failed to score a grand prix podium for the first time in his career, as the promise of an early sprint race pole and win in China turned out to be a false dawn. After that point in 2025, this union never looked like it was on a trajectory leading to success, which led to a lot of scrutiny over Hamilton's position.
"I'm only human," he said. "There's moments where I see the stuff and for sure there's moments where I allowed it to get to me and penetrate deeply." As world champion Lando Norris observed after the Barcelona race, Hamilton's taken "a lot of crap" and "it's nice he can stick the middle finger up to all of them". The biggest thing that's changed to facilitate that is F1 as a whole. The prospect of brand new rules freeing him from limitations specific to the ground-effect era was a hypothesis rooted in hope rather than expectation - something else Hamilton admitted.
But these cars definitely suit him better. The way they move around and what they can cope with under braking are a better match for how Hamilton wants to attack corner entries. It's fair to conclude these cars allow him to perform more consistently at his best and, though it has to be considered a blot on his copybook for not adapting better to the previous rules, it should also be recognised that Hamilton's peak is still clearly very high. "After a year like last year, there was definitely moments that I was like, 'Sheesh, maybe it is true that, when you get to a certain point, you lose it'," he said. "But I've proven that you don't."
‘Everything’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/lewis-hamilton-first-ferrari-f1-win-what-made-it-possible/
Lewis Hamilton delivers menacing ‘right team’ verdict after maiden Ferrari F1 win
14 Jun 2026
Anirban Aly Mandal
Motorsport Week
Now, the seven-time World Champion has made a menacing admission. “The team, they’ve been so kind. We come back to the garage after a difficult race and they’re like ‘Don’t worry, next time’,” he said answering a question from Motorsport Monday.
“They’re just so supportive through it all. For sure, results like this change everything and reinstate if there is a lack of confidence. I hope that’s this was a convincing gap and race. I think that it’s been happening over the last few races. The changes that I’ve asked for all of last year have been made. I now have the right team around me and I’ll have the right car around me and now I can start doing what I do best.”
‘Menacing ‘right team’ verdict’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026...-after-maiden-ferrari-win-at-f1-barcelona-gp/
Barcelona GP conclusions: Lewis Hamilton rediscovered, hidden Russell defeat, new Leclerc crisis
15 Jun 2026
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com
Lewis Hamilton has spoken a lot this year about his mission to, as he puts it, “remember who I am.” An interesting turn of phrase, the implication being that the last few years – not just his first season with Ferrari in 2025 but the period stretching all the way back to the trauma of Abu Dhabi 2021 – had in some way changed him. Not merely a lack of results, but a loss of identity. A different driver, yes, but perhaps a different man too.
Where once he oozed confidence and certainty, like all the truly great drivers, suddenly even he found himself needing some convincing. Is it the car that’s the problem here? Or – gulp – might it be me? It has been an ongoing process this season, this gradual journey of self-rediscovery helped by a steady stream of podiums in the most effective machinery he has had this side of 2021. Yet it wasn’t until around halfway through Sunday’s Barcelona Grand Prix that everything finally clicked back into place.
The moment came on Lap 34 when Lewis, with energy in his voice once again, asked his race engineer Carlo Santi if he was catching the Mercedes cars of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli ahead. “You are catching really well,” came the reply. “Keep pushing, keep pushing.” A sniff. That’s all it was. But sometimes that’s all it takes. That’s all a competitor of this intensity needs to hear for those old instincts to start firing up again.
“You are catching really well”;
https://www.planetf1.com/features/barcelona-grand-prix-2026-conclusions
The Telegraph - 'Russell elbows his way into title race with Austrian Grand Prix win'
Marca - 'Hamilton's major concern at Ferrari: "The gap with Mercedes is very big"'
La Gazzetta dello Sport - 'Hamilton chases, Leclerc seems lost: is the Ferrari dream already over?'
De Telegraaf - 'Max Verstappen felt little pain in his knees the day after the crash and enjoyed his first laps'
New Zealand Herald - 'Liam Lawson banks fourth-straight points finish, takes ninth in Austrian Grand Prix'
