Hamilton's first Ferrari win a statement to himself and rest of F1

Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Tennis' 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic waved the chequered flag as Hamilton crossed the line By Andrew Benson F1 Correspondent Published 34 minutes ago Lewis Hamilton's historic first victory for Ferrari in the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix was a statement to himself as well as to the rest of Formula 1, and the watching world. It answered doubts Hamilton admitted to having at times himself about whether he could still do the job at the pinnacle of the sport he once dominated. It justified his decision to leave Mercedes for Ferrari. And it proved Ferrari could get back to winning ways after a period that was as difficult for them as it was for the driver who has delivered their first win since Mexico in October 2024. The race turned on a virtual safety car that gifted Hamilton a cheap pit stop and ensured he would come out in the lead from Mercedes drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli. But Hamilton and Ferrari did not need the luck. Mercedes admitted after the race that the seven-time champion would have likely beaten them anyway. It would just have required him to pass their cars on track to do it. Such was his pace on fresher tyres, though, that there was little doubt he would have managed it. Hamilton says Barcelona win beyond wildest dreams Published 1 hour ago Hamilton wins first grand prix for Ferrari Published 4 hours ago 'I allowed it to get to me' For Hamilton it was a moment of redemption after a first season at Ferrari that left him questioning himself, and others questioning him. It was painful to watch him at points last year, as he wrestled with the confusion created by his lack of pace. He called the season a "nightmare". He called himself "just useless". He suggested Ferrari should get another driver. On Sunday, after soaking up the adulation of his team, fighting back tears on the podium, he revealed what he had gone through to get back to the place he belongs. "After a year like last year," he said, "there were definitely moments that I was like, 'Sheesh, maybe it is true that, you know, when you get to a certain point, you lose it.' But I've proven that you don't. You always have it and it just takes work." The criticism he had received had hurt him, he acknowledged. "I mean, I'm only human," he said. "So, 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." He went away over the winter, turned off his social media, and set about resetting himself. "The training that I put in was harder than I've ever experienced, to keep myself in good shape," the 41-year-old said, "because I think at the beginning of last year I got injured here, actually, and carried that for months. "Just things that I know is to never second-guess yourself, never doubt yourself. You've got to continue to believe in yourself at the core. And those are the things that I've managed to reimplement into my mentality. I've rebuilt my mi