Ferrari Warned to 'Stay Grounded' After Hamilton's Barcelona Win

Guenther Steiner has urged Ferrari to "stay grounded" after Lewis Hamilton delivered an emotional maiden win for the Scuderia at the Spanish Grand Prix. While a well-timed virtual safety car helped, his aggressive three-stop strategy had already placed him in position to seize victory, capping a remarkable run of second, second, and first in the last three races.

Why it matters:

Hamilton's triumph is Ferrari's first since Charles Leclerc's 2024 United States Grand Prix win, establishing the seven-time champion as a credible 2026 title threat. He trails Kimi Antonelli by just 41 points as rapid SF-26 upgrades steadily eat into Mercedes' early advantage. Steiner's caution underscores the risk that Ferrari's old habit of self-sabotage could resurface just when momentum finally looks sustainable.

The details:

• Steiner insists Hamilton would have won in Barcelona even without the VSC, praising the team's brave strategic gamble.
• At 41, Hamilton has rediscovered his form at a pivotal moment, logging three consecutive podiums after a difficult adaptation to Maranello.
• Ferrari's development push is yielding clear results, yet Mercedes still leads the constructors' standings despite the Scuderia's recent charge.
• Speaking on the Red Flags podcast, the former Haas principal warned that executing perfectly every weekend is unrealistic and urged the team to avoid reverting to old patterns of internal friction undermining strong results.

What's next:

The coming rounds will reveal whether Barcelona was a one-off or the start of genuine, sustained competitiveness. If Hamilton and Ferrari can maintain this consistency across markedly different circuits, the 2026 championship could evolve into a thrilling multi-team fight.