Martin Brundle on the results of the Barcelona Grand Prix

      Former Formula 1 driver and Sky Sport F1 commentator Martin Brundle summarized the Barcelona Grand Prix…

      Congratulations to Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari on a convincing victory in Barcelona. I enjoy watching outstanding athletes like Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell, Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel, and now Lewis, winning races as part of this legendary team. I wish Ayrton had had that opportunity in his time.

      Over the many years of Formula 1, there have been several truly outstanding teams in the championship, but Ferrari evokes the most vivid emotions due to their incredible and passionate victories and titles, as well as periods of chaos and decline. They are the enigma of our sport.

      The main theme of the weekend, as usual at this track, was tire efficiency, especially when the asphalt temperature exceeded 50 degrees. Long fast corners and relatively short straights between them generate incredible energy, which leads to tire overheating.

      Pirelli brought a step softer compounds to the event than last year, and with less downforce acting on the cars this year, it resulted in sliding, wheel spin – and overheating. This meant we had the perfect scenario, in my opinion – a choice of two pit stops during relatively calm racing and three during active attacks.

      George Russell was in great form throughout the weekend. He looked calm and composed, keeping the car on the limit of grip without overloading the tires. He secured pole position, but Lewis qualified second, ahead of the second Mercedes car.

      The days when Ferrari had a significant advantage at the start are behind us. Mercedes and McLaren no longer lag in this regard, and the Red Bull drivers can surprise, like Verstappen in Monaco and Hadjar in Spain.

      Given that the race completely depended on tire wear and strategy, there was no sense in taking risks in the opening corners. No one really took risks.

      Hamilton was the first to pit to return the team to the starting set of Soft tires on lap 11. To maintain the lead and avoid an attack from a competitor on fresh tires, Mercedes immediately conducted a pit stop for Russell. George was a bit frustrated, believing he could have gone longer – he believed in the chosen strategy of two pit stops, while Lewis was clearly going for three.

      Norris changed tires on lap 13, his teammate Oscar Piastri on lap 14, as did Antonelli, giving him a slight but important advantage in tire wear over Russell and Hamilton.

      Judging by the radio communications, Mercedes was more concerned about the competition from Norris than Hamilton's three-stop strategy.

      In the second half of their stints, Antonelli had the speed advantage to catch Russell but couldn't overtake. This season, this is a key issue – George needs to fix something if he wants to win the championship. Nevertheless, he maintained the lead in both of his stints.

      Lando stayed in the top three throughout the race but was virtually deprived of chances to move ahead. Piastri, strangely enough, was consistently slower and ultimately finished fifth, 58 seconds behind the leader.

      Hamilton made his second pit stop on lap 27, receiving a set of Hard tires. He posed an increasing threat to Mercedes, especially when a "virtual safety car" was announced on lap 40 to evacuate Alonso's car.

      This was perfect for Hamilton and Ferrari. All your competitors are driving slowly, so a pit stop costs you 12 seconds instead of 22, as it would at full racing speed. Lewis was able to change tires and maintain the lead despite three pit stops.

      The virtual safety car mode ended just as Lewis exited the pit lane, giving him the chance to win his first Grand Prix for Ferrari, which he effectively utilized, finishing 19 seconds ahead of the nearest competitor.

      Would he have won without the VSC? It's hard to say; he would have had to overtake Norris and two Mercedes drivers, but I believe he would have won anyway – such was his pace and tire advantage in the closing stages.

      Soon after Antonelli passed Russell, his car stopped four laps from the finish. This was agonizing for the championship leader, and suddenly, just a week after his grand victory in Monaco, he now leads Hamilton by 41 points and Russell by 50. This advantage no longer seems as impressive as it did a day before the race.

      For much of the final part of the race, Antonelli was on the verge of a five-second penalty for exceeding track limits, and ultimately received this penalty after the finish.

      A lap after Antonelli retired, unfortunate Leclerc stopped in his Ferrari. He needs to perform very well in Austria and Silverstone to regain his positions, as Hamilton now looks like the clear team leader.

      On race day, there were 125,000 people at the track, but for Spanish fans, their idols performed poorly. Carlos Sainz finished 12th in a Williams, two laps down, while Fernando Alonso retired.

      Franco Colapinto received a 10-second penalty for not slowing down enough in the yellow flag zone, ultimately finishing in 10th place. His teammate Pierre Gasly finished seventh in an Alpine, after his third place in Monaco a week earlier was reinstated following an appeal, and two speeding penalties in this race were overturned.

      It's a complete mess with no simple solution. It turned out that one of the temporary loops on the pit lane in Monaco was 77 cm shorter than programmed, hence the numerous speed violations at 60.1 km/h when the limit was 60 km/h.

      Teams have been corresponding with the FIA about this since the first practice, and some adjusted their speed limiters. It's surprising that the stewards were not informed. Undoubtedly, lessons will be learned.

      As a Brit, I was very proud to see three national flags above the podium – over the heads of Hamilton, Russell, and Norris.

      At 41, Lewis became the oldest winner of Formula 1 races since Jack Brabham in 1970, a full 19 years after his first victory with McLaren in 2007. There you have dedication and resilience.

      Ferrari and McLaren will continue to develop their cars, as will Mercedes. I have no doubt that we are in for an open and unpredictable season.