Writer’s Verdict: 2026 Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix

16th June 2026 0 By ApexMotorsports.co.uk

The Formula 1 Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix saw Lewis Hamilton take his first-ever grand prix victory with Ferrari, with the Mercedes unable to match his pace. Here’s our writer’s verdict of the Barcelona race!

Feature image credit: Ferrari Media Centre

Sam Wye – Contributor

Despite looking like one of the least entertaining races of the year for the first 30 laps, the 2026 Barcelona Grand Prix will undoubtedly be remembered for years to come and will be one of the standout moments from this season.

The man to thank for that, without question, is Hamilton, who stole the show in classic Hammer time fashion, rolling back the years to the Lewis who dominated the sport for so many years.

Hamilton was helped massively by a brilliant strategy from Ferrari, who opted to go aggressive and put the 7-time world champion on a 3-stop strategy. This gave the Brits’ former team, Mercedes, a massive headache all race and spoiled what many had predicted would be a straightforward weekend for the silver arrows.

The new regulations shone yet again as overtaking around Catalunya looked easier than in previous years. The move of the race also goes to Hamilton, who put a fabulous move on McLaren’s Oscar Piastri around the outside of turn 3.

The race has also had significant ramifications for the championship battle, as points leader, Kimi Antonelli, suffered an all-too-familiar Mercedes engine blowout with just 4 laps left. Despite this, Antonelli will probably still be the happier of the Mercedes pair, as teammate George Russell seemed to really struggle, dropping behind Lewis and Kimi on track.

With both Mercedes drivers suffering failures, as well as other Mercedes-powered cars befalling similar fates this season, it does seem as if reliability will play a massive part in the remainder of this 2026 season.

The big question now, as we head to Austria in a fortnight, is whether Lewis Hamilton can really consider himself fully in the hunt for this year’s title.

‘We hope its him’ says Wolff after Hamilton claims first Ferrari win

Millie Clark – Contributor

The 2026 Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix was one for the history books.

We saw Hamilton rewrite history as he clinched his maiden victory while representing the iconic Ferrari Red. With this win, Hamilton becomes the only driver to ever win a Grand Prix with Mercedes, McLaren, and Ferrari.

What made this victory even more special, in my opinion, was that it was Mercedes’ George Russell and McLaren’s Lando Norris right there beside the seven-time world champion, making it an all-British podium for the first time since 1968.

For Antonelli, the race ended early after a shocking retirement. While Antonelli remains the championship leader, the young Italian leaves Barcelona pointless, closing the gap in the championship standings with Hamilton just 41 points behind.

As the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix marks the first time that the driver who stood on the top step of the podium was not wearing the Mercedes colours, it gives fans hope that Ferrari and Hamilton can put up a fight against Mercedes for the championship title. Is this the year we will finally see Hamilton take his eighth world driver’s championship? We will have to wait and see.

Antonelli ‘pleased’ for Hamilton after ‘disappointing’ Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix

Kamron Kent – Founder & Editor-in-Chief

The Barcelona-Catalunya GP gave us a memorable send-off as the circuit leaves the F1 calendar permanently, shifting into a rotation with Belgium’s Spa-Francorchamps.

It was what looked to be a typical Mercedes cruise to the finish line, with Russell getting off the line and going into turn one unchallenged. But as I watched the live-timing data during the race, and you could tell – but couldn’t expect – that something was off.

Russell was unable to pull away from the Ferrari, and Antonelli seemingly could not match Hamilton’s pace in the early laps. Hamilton was certainly in the fight for victory.

In recent races, it felt like the Hamilton of old had returned. A return of the driver we haven’t really seen since 2021, truth be told. After seasons under the ground-effect era, how down-in-the-dumps the seven-time world champion got, you wouldn’t have been silly to write Hamilton off this season.

However, his run of form, taking three consecutive podium finishes and now a win, it feels like the younger version of Hamilton returned. A rejuvenated seven-time world champion.

Now, this might simply be a one-off, and it may go back to business-as-usual in Austria, with Mercedes walking out front to a certain victory. But it would make for an entertaining season if Ferrari’s upgrades continue to shine and give us another thrilling championship fight.