Hamilton's momentum builds as Ferrari becomes a contender against Mercedes.

Hamilton's momentum builds as Ferrari becomes a contender against Mercedes.

      George Russell may be poised to challenge Kimi Antonelli’s dominance in Barcelona, but Ferrari’s speed is turning out to be one of the most significant narratives of the Spanish GP weekend. Following six victories in six races for Mercedes in 2026, Lewis Hamilton will be positioned between Russell and Antonelli on the grid, having maintained his unexpected superiority over teammate Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque continues to experience difficulties after his crash in Monaco, which he attributed to Brembo. However, in Barcelona, Leclerc openly and emotionally took full responsibility.

      Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur dismissed claims that Leclerc is being surpassed or psychologically impacted by Hamilton’s resurgence in form. "I don’t believe that’s the case," he told Sky Deutschland. "There were several issues. I don’t even want to discuss Monaco any longer. This weekend he displayed strong pace and showed good form, never falling behind. Perhaps he was a bit too overconfident there."

      Vasseur was keen to underscore Ferrari’s increasing competitiveness following a challenging start to the new regulations era. "We have the closest qualifying gap to Mercedes," he stated. "Lewis is improving alongside the team. The objective when starting from the front row is always to win, but the challenge is significant because we’ll need to manage the tyres."

      Hamilton himself acknowledged Ferrari’s recent upgrades for narrowing the distance to the dominant Mercedes package. "The team did an excellent job in Maranello," he remarked. "With the updates, we’re less than a tenth behind Mercedes. I’m confident this car will win races based on its current trajectory, hopefully starting here."

      Mercedes chief Toto Wolff conceded that Ferrari’s advancements have been somewhat unexpected. "My old friend?" he chuckled when asked about Hamilton. "Not old in age, otherwise, he’d be upset! When he feels comfortable and has a car he enjoys driving, he goes incredibly fast. We thought McLaren would be quick, but Ferrari has been strong. They practically revamped the entire car," he laughed, referring to Ferrari’s updates in Barcelona.

      Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher believes Hamilton’s driving style fits well with the new regulations. "It seems Hamilton is adjusting remarkably to the new concept," he stated. "With the new aerodynamics, which provide less grip, narrower and more agile cars that can be thrown into corners, it appears to suit him better. He deserves credit for that. He hasn’t always had great races, but recently, he’s been performing excellently."

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Hamilton's momentum builds as Ferrari becomes a contender against Mercedes.

Formula 1 | George Russell might be poised to challenge Kimi Antonelli's streak of success in Barcelona, but Ferrari's speed is starting to look like one of the most significant (…)