Lewis Hamilton secured his 106th profession victory – and his maiden win for Ferrari – at Sunday’s Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.
Seven-time world champion Hamilton is now 41 factors behind championship chief Kimi Antonelli, who retired from the race.
Mercedes’ George Russell was second and McLaren’s Lando Norris third, making it the primary all-British podium because the US Grand Prix in 1968.
BBC F1 correspondent Andrew Benson solutions your newest questions after Barcelona.
Does Lewis Hamilton’s return to type imply he’s now again in competition for an eighth title? Does it imply Ferrari might quickly be placing their efforts in the direction of him for the championship? – Liam
Lewis Hamilton is the primary non-Mercedes driver to win a race this 12 months, and he’s now second within the championship – 41 factors behind Kimi Antonelli – following Sunday’s victory in Spain.
Nevertheless it’s too early to make any definitive judgements about Hamilton as a title contender.
Earlier than his triumph on the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, the thought of him or Ferrari being title contenders seemed fanciful, given how Mercedes had dominated the season.
A major aerodynamic improve on the Ferrari was sufficient, although – together with all different components at play – to make Hamilton and Ferrari the quickest driver and automotive on monitor on Sunday.
However plenty of circumstances aligned. For one, Mercedes compromised their technique by masking Hamilton’s early first cease.
They determined to deviate from their optimum cease occasions for a two-stop race to lock in monitor place. Arguably, from that second on, Hamilton’s three-stop was the quicker technique.
Then, the digital security automotive gifted Hamilton an affordable cease that allowed him to pit and retain the lead.
With out that, he would have nonetheless been the quickest automotive on monitor, however to win he would have needed to cross Lando Norris’ McLaren in addition to each Mercedes – or possibly just one, given Antonelli retired late on.
On high of that, for now, Ferrari are missing energy in comparison with Mercedes. Barcelona just isn’t an particularly power-sensitive monitor. And the Ferrari is the quickest automotive within the corners, particularly the kind of corners in Barcelona.
However the subsequent three races – Austria, Britain and Belgium – are all on power-sensitive tracks. As issues stand, it is unlikely Ferrari may beat Mercedes there.
Having mentioned that, phrase on the road is there’s a Ferrari engine improve coming quickly, now they’ve been formally declared to be allowed two for each this season and subsequent. How a lot distinction will that make?
Briefly, Hamilton’s Spain win was sufficient to make the thought a fairly logical dialog piece, however it’s going to take extra proof from extra races earlier than anybody can say definitively he’s a title contender.
Are Charles Leclerc’s present struggles throughout qualifying as a result of strain from Lewis Hamilton’s revival in type? Or is he genuinely scuffling with braking issues? – Rob
To deal with this query, it is necessary to separate out Spain from the 2 races previous it.
It is undoubtedly the case that Charles Leclerc was struggling in Canada and Monaco, significantly with the braking traits of the Ferrari.
He had been utilizing totally different brake discs from Hamilton they usually weren’t working as he needed.
For Spain, it is believed he switched to Hamilton’s brake set-up and was a lot happier.
He was faster than Hamilton by means of follow, his race simulation occasions on Friday afternoon impressed Mercedes, and he was faster than Hamilton within the second session of qualifying.
Leclerc then crashed on his first lap in Q3.
He described Flip 4 as his “weak spot” all weekend – when in comparison with Hamilton. And it appears he tried to brake as late as Hamilton there. It labored on entry, but it surely carried him extensive by means of the nook, he received off line on exit, the automotive snapped, and he ended up within the wall.
As Hamilton put it: “I used to be braking very late into Flip 4, which had been seen, and I believe Charles in all probability tried to hold plenty of velocity into that nook and sadly it did not work out for him.”
Within the race, Leclerc needed to make up floor from tenth on the grid, and he did so impressively within the opening laps. Then, in response to group boss Frederic Vasseur, Ferrari modified Leclerc’s technique mid-race, which suggests he began aiming for a three-stop and transformed to a two.
Whether or not that was a proof for his lack of tempo in comparison with Hamilton, which different groups observed, just isn’t totally clear.
Vasseur mentioned after the race: “He had a very good feeling with the automotive, he was in confidence, he was capable of battle for the pole place yesterday.
“Then the truth that we modified the technique in the midst of the race, it was tough for him. He pitted as soon as once more one lap earlier than the security automotive. However I believe the strategy and the sensation is significantly better for Charles at this time than it was three weeks in the past.”
Over the season as a complete, whereas Hamilton is 6-4 up of their qualifying head-to-head, Leclerc is definitely barely faster on common, by 0.025secs.
