Lewis Hamilton has won the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, writing a new chapter in his story in red. It marks Hamilton’s first victory at the wheel of a Ferrari. Behind him, George Russell finished in second place and Lando Norris in third.

From a strategic standpoint, the race was extremely interesting. Hamilton adopted a three-stop strategy: the Ferrari driver started on Softs, switching to Hards on lap 11. After lap 27 he made his second stop for Mediums, which he then replaced on lap 41, during a VSC phase, once again with Hards that carried him to victory.

While the Ferrari driver used all the available compounds, Russell and Norris relied only on Mediums and Hards. Both opted for a two-stop strategy, starting on Mediums and switching to Hards for the final two stints.

On a hot day, with track temperatures reaching 53°C, strategies ranging from two to four stops were seen, with all compounds widely used. Nine drivers used each of the three compounds selected for the race weekend.

In the championship battle, Hamilton has reduced the gap to leader Kimi Antonelli. The Italian, who retired in the closing stages of the race, still leads the standings with 156 points, while Hamilton now trails by 41. George Russell occupies third place with 106 points, 50 behind the leader.

DARIO MARRAFUSCHI – PIRELLI MOTORSPORT DIRECTOR
“The Barcelona Grand Prix was one of the most interesting races since the start of the season, particularly with regard to tyre usage. Tyres played a central role: aided by pronounced degradation, due to the high temperatures and the choice of softer compounds compared to 2025, they became the key pieces in an intense game of chess, highlighting both the drivers’ skills and the teams’ strategic capabilities.

”The two-stop strategy proved very effective in terms of race pace, but the real winning move was the insight shown by some teams in opting directly for three pit stops on Sunday. Scuderia Ferrari, for example, chose to differentiate the strategies between its two drivers. Leclerc, starting from tenth position, pitted twice, while the decision to stop Lewis Hamilton three times delivered the Briton his first victory in red.

”By significantly anticipating the first stop compared to the recommended windows, the team maximised the undercut, forcing their rivals to respond on the same strategy. It was an option that Ferrari had likely already identified from the outset as the most competitive for Hamilton. The advantage was then managed all the way to the chequered flag, also thanks to the time gained during a Virtual Safety Car.

”No significant changes were observed in tyre behaviour compared to Friday’s second free practice session. Tyre management and track evolution helped to slightly reduce degradation in the final stints, as did the use of both sets of Hard tyres retained by some teams.

”The Medium was probably the most effective compound over race distance, offering an excellent balance between grip and degradation. The two Ferrari drivers demonstrated this in the third stint by adopting different strategies: before his retirement, Leclerc was unable to match his team-mate’s pace.

”All three compounds selected for the weekend were nonetheless used in the race. Even the Soft, despite its rapid performance drop-off, found a place in strategies, both at the start and in the closing stages, with mixed results.”

Formula 2
Rafael Camara successfully converted pole position into victory in the Formula 2 Feature Race at the Catalonia Grand Prix. The race was run in very hot conditions and Camara secured a dominant win by more than 12 seconds over second-placed Alex Dunne. Gabriele Minì finished third.

The Brazilian started on soft tyres before switching to Hards on lap 23. Dunne also started on Softs but stopped much earlier, on lap 13, to fit Hards. A very similar strategy was used by Minì, who pitted on lap 14 for the harder compound. Minì retains the championship lead with 86 points, followed by Tsolov on 80. Camara sits third with 69 points.

Formula 3
Theophile Nael won the Formula 3 Feature Race, narrowly holding off Hiyu Yamakoshi. The Japanese driver remained glued to Nael throughout the race right up to the chequered flag. Ugo Ugochukwu finished third. Ugochukwu remains at the top of the championship with 58 points, while Nael moves into second place following Sunday’s victory with 52 points.