Lewis Hamilton has been recognized as a driver capable of turning unlikely opportunities into victories in Formula 1. The recognition came after his performance at the Barcelona GP, when the Briton secured his first win for Ferrari, with a three-stop strategy.
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The performance caught the attention of Stefan Johansson, former Formula 1 driver, who placed Hamilton and Max Verstappen in a select group of competitors capable of capitalizing on situations with slim chances of success. For the Swede, the victory on the Spanish circuit represented a clear demonstration of the characteristics that define a champion.
Hamilton identified the possibility of victory during the free practice sessions, and according to Johansson, worked with Ferrari to structure the strategy even before the race. The execution of the pit stop tactic was considered decisive for the result.
“I think the Barcelona race was a classic Lewis Hamilton win. He saw a chance to win in practice, knew he could make it work, planned the strategy well before the race, and simply executed it perfectly. That’s what really gave him the victory,” Johansson told the official Formula 1 website.
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The former driver also assessed that few competitors would be able to repeat the result under the same circumstances: “Honestly, I don’t think many drivers would have won that race in his circumstances, but he knew exactly what he needed to do and managed it. That’s the mark of a champion. They are the guys who can take a 2% chance and turn it into reality. The same as Max Verstappen,” he added.
The victory ended the dominant streak of Mercedes and Kimi Antonelli at the start of the 2026 season. Before the August break, Ferrari won again, this time with Charles Leclerc at the British GP in Silverstone, reinforcing the team’s positive momentum.
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