Hamilton sets F1 longevity record with Spanish GP win

Lewis Hamilton extended Formula 1’s record for the longest span between a driver’s first and last Grand Prix victories when he won the Spanish Grand Prix at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, his 106th career victory. The win came 19 years and 4 days after his first Formula 1 triumph in Canada in 2007 with McLaren, across 381 Grands Prix. Hamilton also became the first driver older than 40 to win a Formula 1 race since Nigel Mansell in 1994, and the first British driver to win for Ferrari in the 21st century.

The Barcelona result ended a year-long drought and marked Hamilton’s first win in a Ferrari after he went without a victory or podium in his first season with the team in 2025. He has looked more competitive in 2026, finishing second in Canada and showing strong pace in Monaco before converting that form into a dominant win in Spain. A virtual safety car helped at the finish, and the report said Ferrari had put him in position to capitalize. His improvement has also been linked to a new race engineer and a revised pre-race routine that emphasizes data analysis over simulator work.

Hamilton said each of his 106 victories has followed its own path and that the Barcelona result showed success is still within reach if he keeps working. He said his physical condition and self-confidence help him compete against younger drivers, pointing to 19-year-old championship leader Kimi Antonelli as an example of Formula 1’s generational contrast. Hamilton also said the previous year was difficult and that he briefly wondered whether he had lost his edge before this victory restored his confidence. After the race, he moved into second place in the drivers’ standings, nine points ahead of George Russell, and trimmed his deficit to Antonelli by 25 points, though he still trailed the championship leader by 41 points. Hamilton said he was not yet focused on matching an eighth world title and said Ferrari’s SF-26 still does not match the performance level of Mercedes’ W17.