Barcelona-Catalunya GP: Lewis Hamilton aims for ‘perfect career’ to fight George Russell, Kimi Antonelli and get first Ferrari F1 | F1 News
Lewis Hamilton believes a “perfect performance” will be needed for Ferrari to take the fight to Mercedes at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, but is not ruling out the chance to claim a first win in red.
Hamilton was 0.064s behind George Russell – the closest he has been to qualifying since joining Ferrari in 2025 – but separated the two Mercedes from championship leader Kimi Antonelli.
It is a continuation of Hamilton’s strong form after back-to-back second places at the last two rounds in Montreal and Monaco.
The seven-time world champion took the sprint pole and won in China last year but is yet to win the Grand Prix for Ferrari.
“There is a lot of work to be done to get ahead of these guys [Mercedes]. It will take a total effort from all of us to fight these guys to win,” he said Sky Sports F1.
“Tyre handling will be very important. It always is, especially when the track is 50 degrees. On Friday we were sliding, the most I’ve ever heard here. And the degradation is double what we expected.
“But the car is in a better place and hopefully that means we have less degradation. I’m fighting two Mercedes which will be very difficult.
“There is still a long way to go to Turn One, so we need a good start. In every start, that’s the one we have to fix, to get the car where it needs to be.”
In the last 35 Formula 1 races at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, the winner has come out on top. However, the 600 meter race down to Turn One is one of the most exciting on the calendar, as last year proved when Russell started third and took the lead by sweeping Lando Norris and Max Verstappen.
Ferrari had a significant advantage at the start of the year off the line thanks to their smaller turbo but Mercedes caught up. However, Hamilton says “the battle is still on” and hopes he can match the Silver Arrows’ raw pace.
“I will stop it! What is clear is that what we are doing is working, we are improving as a team,” he said.
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Charles Leclerc crashed again for the second time in seven days as he hit the wall at Turn Four during qualifying for the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.
“Obviously, these guys [Mercedes] there just seems to be more in the package. Every time we deliver an upgrade, it’s still early, so we have some work ahead of us.
“I don’t know when they’re going to bring it back again, maybe the next race or whatever. It’s going to change and change, but it’s great for us, this is the closest we’ve had pace-wise, qualifying.”
Mercedes is wary of Hamilton’s threat
Mercedes are unbeaten on Sunday this year with Antonelli winning five races in a row to take 66 points in the Drivers’ Championship ahead of Hamilton and 68 points ahead of Russell.
Team principal Toto Wolff revealed that Hamilton made a small mistake in his Q3 run that may have cost him a lower place, and he expects the Ferrari driver to be a problem in the race.
“My old friend… when people questioned whether he still had the speed, I always said that if he is in the right state of mind and the car suits him, he should be considered the same,” said Wolff. Sky Sports F1.
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George Russell takes the top spot in Barcelona, ​​with teammate Hamilton coming in second
“He has to color and that’s what he did in qualifying. If there’s not a little mistake at the end, he’s a tenth and a half faster than us.
“I think it will come down to tire damage and we were working well later on Friday – but it all depends on the start. If Lewis is in front after the start, that will be difficult for everyone, so I’m looking forward to seeing how that ends.”
The top three may have found themselves tied for third going into a tight corner where many crashes have occurred over the years.
“The slipstream will be very strong [without Straight Line Mode at the start]it’s very important to start well and try to get away from Turn One,” said Antonelli.
“From then on, it will try to play the long game. The tires are very fragile here and we might see a lot of stops during the race because they don’t last long.”
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Speaking after qualifying for the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, Kimi Antonelli suggested that he had been driving too much and needed to ‘drive less to go faster’.
Sure, it would be a three-stop race which is unusual in modern F1 but the combination of hot temperatures and long corners means tire damage is at an all-time high.
Mercedes have benefited from splitting tactics with their drivers, and Charles Leclerc’s accident means that Hamilton will not be able to cover both Silver Arrows.
Russell, who has failed to score in the last two major championships, said: “There will be a lot of chances in this race. But to be honest, I just want to see the checkered flag and get to the end of the race!”
Sky Sports F1 Barcelona-Catalunya GP schedule
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Ahead of the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, we look back at some of the most amazing moments from past races on the circuit.
Sunday June 14
7.35am: F3 Feature Race
9.05am: Porsche Supercup
10.20am: F2 Feature Race
12.30pm: Barcelona-Catalunya GP build-up: Sunday’s Grand Prix*
2pm: THE BARCELONA-CATALUNYA GRAND PRIX*
4pm: Barcelona-Catalunya GP Reaction: Checked Flag
5pm: Ted’s notebook
*Also on Sky Sports Main Event
Formula 1 is in Spain for the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix live on Sky Sports F1. Sunday’s race starts at 2 p.m. Stream Sky Sports NOW – no contract, cancel anytime
