Bottas: Hamilton 'back to his best' after maiden Ferrari win

Valtteri Bottas insists Lewis Hamilton is "back to his best" after the seven-time world champion secured his maiden Ferrari victory at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona. The win ended a 686-day drought dating back to the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix and marked a stunning turnaround following a difficult debut season with the Scuderia.

Why it matters:

Hamilton's resurgence has suddenly tightened the 2026 championship fight, with the Briton now sitting just 41 points adrift of the lead following Kimi Antonelli's retirement in Catalunya. The result also produced the first all-British podium since the 1968 United States Grand Prix, uniting Hamilton with George Russell and Lando Norris in a moment that underscores how dramatically his fortunes have reversed.

The details:

• Bottas' verdict: The Finn, who won five Constructors' titles alongside Hamilton at Mercedes, said he never wrote off his former teammate. "You should never write him off," Bottas stated, praising Ferrari's aggressive three-stop strategy and noting that Hamilton's pace suggested he may have won even without the Lap 40 Virtual Safety Car.
• Mercedes' concession: Russell and team principal Toto Wolff both admitted the Mercedes duo had no answer for Hamilton's raw pace on the day, regardless of the VSC intervention.
• Respect from rivals: Russell praised Hamilton's "big, bold move" to Maranello and warned he is now "a real threat," while Norris—who grew up idolizing the seven-time champion—called the Ferrari partnership finally "paying dividends" and said it was "special" to witness.

What's next:

After consecutive second-place finishes in Montreal and Miami, Hamilton's Barcelona breakthrough confirms he has the speed and confidence to mount a sustained championship challenge. The focus now shifts to whether Ferrari can match the development rate of its rivals as the season enters its critical middle phase.