Hamilton's momentum persists as Ferrari becomes a challenge for Mercedes.

      George Russell might be poised to disrupt Kimi Antonelli’s dominance in Barcelona, but Ferrari’s performance is emerging as a significant narrative of the Spanish GP weekend. After Mercedes secured six victories in six races during 2026, Lewis Hamilton will find himself positioned between Russell and Antonelli on the grid, having maintained a surprisingly strong edge over teammate Charles Leclerc.

      Leclerc's struggles have continued following his crash in Monaco, which he attributed to Brembo; however, he candidly acknowledged his mistakes in Barcelona. Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur dismissed claims that Leclerc is being outshined or psychologically impacted by Hamilton's resurgence. "I don’t believe so," he stated to Sky Deutschland. "There were several issues. I don’t want to dwell on Monaco anymore. This weekend, he showed strong pace and was in good form, never falling behind. Perhaps he was a bit overconfident there.”

      Vasseur was keen to emphasize Ferrari’s increasing competitiveness after a challenging beginning with the new regulations. "We have the narrowest qualifying gap to Mercedes," he noted. "Lewis is improving along with the team. The aim when starting from the front row is always to win, but the challenge is significant, as we need to manage the tyres."

      Hamilton himself acknowledged Ferrari’s recent updates for narrowing the gap 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 given its trajectory, hopefully starting here."

      Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff admitted that Ferrari's advancements were somewhat unexpected. "My old friend?" he joked when asked about Hamilton. "Not old in age, or he'd get angry! When he feels good and has a car that suits his driving style, he is incredibly fast. We expected McLaren to be competitive, but Ferrari performed strongly. They practically revamped the entire car," he said with a smile, referring to the updates introduced by Ferrari in Barcelona.

      Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher believes that the new regulations are favoring Hamilton's driving style. "It seems Hamilton is adapting exceptionally well to the new concept," he explained. "With the updated aerodynamics, less grip, and more nimble cars that can be maneuvered 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 exceptionally well."