The Barcelona GP 2026 came packed with unexpected arcs for the majority of the grid. This race weekend featured a new team at the top step and a heartbreaking end to an iconic race win streak, both at the same time. For the first time since 1968, Formula 1 witnessed an all-British podium, featuring race winner Lewis Hamilton, followed by George Russell and then Lando Norris.
Three British drivers, one iconic podium
It was a special race for Lewis, marking his first race win with Ferrari in his second season with them. The seven-time World Champion opted for a three-stop strategy, benefiting from a virtual safety car caused by an Aston Martin coming to a stop during lap 41.
“They’re all special in their own way but this one’s something else. I watched Ferrari have all that success when I was younger, watching it on TV, and as I’ve been racing here I’d always watch the screens and wonder what it would be like to win in that car, and it’s come.”
Lewis Hamilton
It was the first non-Mercedes win of the 2026 season.
For George Russell, this podium is especially valuable coming after a retirement in Monaco. The Mercedes driver had secured pole position on Saturday, saying he felt ‘back in his groove.’ Although he was passed on the track by Antonelli, making him drop a position, he secured P2 after his teammate’s retirement.
Lando Norris was back at the podium for the Barcelona GP 2026. The reigning World Champion was experiencing an inconsistent season with his McLaren, having faced two retirements and a race where he did not start at all. He was on a two-stop strategy and was rewarded with a podium after Kimi’s race ended, mirroring George’s session.
Big retirements and bigger frustrations
The Barcelona GP 2026 was especially tough for Kimi Antonelli and Charles Leclerc. Both of them did not finish the race while their teammates stood up on the podium.
For Kimi, the race was even more unfortunate as he experienced a mechanical issue with his Mercedes just after he overtook his teammate for P2. The 19-year-old championship leader, who had started from third on the grid, came to a halt on lap 62 out of 66 and was forced to retire the car. This marked the end of his streak of 5 consecutive race wins.
The Ferrari driver, who had already had a crash in the Qualifying session on Saturday, also experienced a mechanical issue close to the end. On the opening lap, he did manage to improve his position from P10 to P7, but in the end, it was a weekend to forget for Leclerc.
Further down the grid, Nico Hulkenberg experienced an unlucky but peculiar conclusion to his race. The German driver was in a position to score his first points of the season when a piece of gravel flew towards his Audi and hit a safety switch, making his car lose power. The gravel flew towards the track when Liam Lawson, whom Nico was fighting for P9, went wide.
Fernando Alonso started from the pit lane for his home race following some modifications to his Aston Martin. His race came to an early end, too, due to battery issues. On the other side of the Aston garage, Lance Stroll became the first retirement of the Barcelona GP 2026 when the team noticed an issue with his gearbox.
Cadillac’s Valtteri Bottas was also told to bring the car back to the garage, experiencing an overheating issue at lap 17. Oliver Bearman did not see the checkered flag either, retiring due to an issue when only three laps of the race were left. Being 8 laps behind Sergio Perez, Alex Albon was classified as a non-finisher after pitting in order to fix a problem.
Points, progress, and a reinstated podium
Pierre Gasly found his weekend to be packed with action. After losing on the podium last weekend due to two time penalties, the driver was left distraught. But after an appeal from Alpine, the driver’s P3 position was reinstated. Although his good fortune did not follow him into Saturday, as he was eliminated from Q2 and resigned to start his race from fourteenth, right behind his teammate, Franco Colapinto.
After a ‘very difficult weekend behind the wheel,’ Gasly was pleased to finish his race at P7, saying that ‘the stars aligned to help.’ Franco was not far behind either, crossing the finish line in P8, but was given a post-race penalty for a yellow flag infringement. Thankfully for him, the Argentine driver still managed to get P10 even after the penalty. For Alpine, the Barcelona GP 2026 was definitely a step in the right direction.
Racing Bull’s Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad were the two drivers who benefited directly from Colapinto’s penalty. Lawson, who had finished the race behind Franco, improved up a place, coming in at P8. His teammate, Arvid, who crossed the line at P10, also improved to P9.
After not being able to finish the race in Monaco one week earlier, Max Verstappen secured P4 this weekend. His teammate Isack Hadjar had experienced a difficult start, managing to recover to P6. Both drivers, who had felt confident following the Qualifying on Saturday, expressed that they expected better performance from the car after the race. Still, Red Bull experienced a better weekend than some of the teams on the grid.
A championship battle in the making
The 66-point lead Kimi Antonelli had over Lewis Hamilton heading into Barcelona has slimmed down to just 41. The 19-year-old’s retirement played a huge role in changing the dynamic of the drivers’ standings this season. As of now, there is only a 50-point difference between the top three contenders of the 2026 Driver’s Championship.
The Barcelona GP 2026 has provided us with a lot of interesting moments that will surely have a big effect on how the championship battle unfolds.
