Hamilton's momentum grows as Ferrari becomes a potential challenger to Mercedes.
George Russell might be poised to disrupt Kimi Antonelli’s stronghold in Barcelona, yet Ferrari's competitiveness is quickly becoming a key highlight of the Spanish GP weekend. After achieving six victories in six races for Mercedes in 2026, Lewis Hamilton will start the race positioned between Russell and Antonelli on the grid, having demonstrated a surprising edge over teammate Charles Leclerc recently.
The challenging phase for the Monegasque driver continued following his crash in Monaco, which he attributed to Brembo. However, in Barcelona, Leclerc candidly and emotionally accepted full responsibility. Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur dismissed any notions that Leclerc is being outperformed or is suffering psychologically due to Hamilton's resurgence.
"I don’t think so," he stated to Sky Deutschland. "There were various issues. I don't want to dwell on Monaco anymore. This weekend, he showed strong pace and was performing well, never finishing behind. Perhaps he was a bit too overconfident there."
Vasseur was eager to underscore Ferrari’s increased competitiveness after a rocky start to the new regulations era. "We have the closest qualifying gap to Mercedes," he noted. "Lewis is progressing along with the team. When you start from the front row, the aim is to win, but it’s a significant challenge because we’ll need to manage the tires."
Hamilton acknowledged Ferrari's recent upgrades for bridging the gap to the dominant Mercedes package. "The team did a tremendous job in Maranello," he remarked. "With the updates, we’re now less than a tenth behind Mercedes. I’m confident this car will win races, given its recent trajectory; hopefully, it starts here."
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff admitted that Ferrari's advancements have been somewhat unexpected. "My old friend?" he chuckled when addressing Hamilton. "Not old in age, or he’d get upset! When he feels comfortable and has a car that suits him, he goes incredibly fast. We anticipated McLaren would be quick, but Ferrari has shown strength. They practically revamped the entire car," he added with a smile, referring to Ferrari’s updates in Barcelona.
Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher opined that the new regulations appear to favor Hamilton's driving style. "It seems like Hamilton is adapting exceptionally well to the new concept," he said. "With the new aerodynamics, reduced grip, and narrower, more agile cars that respond well to being thrown into corners, this setup appears to suit him better. He deserves credit for it. While he hasn't always had strong races, he has been performing excellently lately."
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