Hamilton claims first Ferrari victory in Barcelona

Lewis Hamilton secured his first victory as a Ferrari driver by winning the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, taking the 106th win of his Formula 1 career.

Mercedes and Ferrari arrived in Barcelona as the favourites, although Ferrari suffered a setback in qualifying when Charles Leclerc crashed for the second consecutive race weekend and was left to start from 10th on the grid.

George Russell claimed pole position for Mercedes ahead of Hamilton, while championship leader Kimi Antonelli and McLaren's Lando Norris lined up on the second row.

Russell held the lead at the start, with the top five maintaining their positions through the opening laps. The Mercedes drivers then emerged as the main contenders for victory, with Russell and Antonelli leading the field for much of the race. However, the picture changed after their pit stops on laps 37 and 38, allowing Hamilton to move into the lead.

A crucial moment came on Lap 41 when Fernando Alonso stopped at Turn 10, triggering a Virtual Safety Car period. Hamilton took advantage of the situation to make his final pit stop and rejoined just ahead of Russell. From that point on, the Ferrari driver steadily extended his advantage at the front.

The battle for second place intensified in the closing stages, with Antonelli putting Russell under pressure for several laps. On Lap 61, the Italian finally found a way past his team-mate and moved into second. However, his celebrations were short-lived. Just a few corners later, a power unit issue brought his Mercedes to a halt, marking the team's second retirement caused by engine-related problems in the last three races.

Out front, Hamilton remained in complete control and never allowed his rivals to challenge for the win. The seven-time World Champion comfortably took the chequered flag to secure his maiden victory with Ferrari.

Russell finished second, while Norris completed the podium in third. As a result, Formula 1 witnessed its first all-British podium since 1968.

The championship continues in two weeks' time in Spielberg, Austria.