Lewis Hamilton was highlighted as the protagonist of one of the great performances in the first half of the 2026 Formula 1 season. The former driver of the category, Stefan Johansson, described the British driver’s victory at the Spanish GP as a demonstration of a champion’s ability.
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Hamilton adopted an aggressive three-stop strategy at the Barcelona Circuit, while most nearby rivals opted for just two. Even with the entry of a virtual safety car at a favorable moment, the assessment is that the Ferrari driver would have been able to win regardless of this circumstance.
The strategic choice was made early in the race, but Hamilton managed to keep calm and maintain the pace throughout the weekend. For Johansson, few drivers would have the ability to turn such a risky decision into a victory, which is precisely what differentiates names like Hamilton and Max Verstappen.
“I don’t think many drivers would have won that race under the circumstances Lewis had, but he knew exactly what he needed to do and he managed it,” Johansson told the official Formula 1 website. According to the former driver, Hamilton identified the potential to win during practice, planned ahead, and executed the strategy flawlessly.
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Johansson considers the performance in Barcelona to represent a typical characteristic of great champions: “This is the mark of a champion. These are the guys who can take a 2% opportunity and make it happen. The same as Max Verstappen,” he added.
The victory also ended a winless period for Ferrari this season and showed, according to Johansson’s assessment, that Mercedes could be surpassed. Even so, Hamilton reached the halfway point of the championship 50 points behind Kimi Antonelli in the standings.
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