Bottas says Hamilton's first Ferrari win proves you should 'never write him off'

686 days after his last victory with Mercedes at the 2024 Belgian GP, Hamilton finally has his first in Ferrari red in Catalunya. An aggressive three-stop strategy against Mercedes duo George Russell and Kimi Antonelli allowed the Briton to set a blistering pace on his second stint, and with a bit of help with the VSC, Hamilton was not to be beaten to the top step - a performance both Russell and Mercedes boss Toto Wolff admitted they could not have beaten regardless of the Lap 40 VSC intervention.

After becoming the first Ferrari driver in 44 years not to score a podium throughout the season last season, Hamilton has enjoyed a remarkable turnaround in 2026. His first Ferrari win follows two consecutive P2 finishes in Montreal and Miami, respectively, and thanks to Antonelli's late DNF in Barcelona, Hamilton is now just 41 points behind the championship lead after seven rounds of F1 action.

For Cadillac's Bottas, who won five Constructors' titles in his five years alongside Hamilton at Mercedes, seeing his good friend's return to form has been a welcome sight. Bottas told media, including GPblog: "It's great to see. He really seems to be back at his best again.

Bottas, knowing Hamilton better than most, was then asked whether he had any doubts his former teammate would eventually regain his form, after 2025 season that saw Hamilton finish P6 in the standings, 86 points off Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc.

"I always knew you should never write him off," Bottas replied. "In the end, he's Lewis. He's still got the most wins and championships, so it's not like the skill is going away in one year. He seems in a good place."

Neither Russell nor Lando Norris could hide their happiness for Hamilton after his first Ferrari win in Barcelona. They may not have had the perfect weekends themselves, finishing P2 and P3, respectively, but both Britons were nonetheless pleased for the 41-year-old, also making history to complete the first all-British podium since Jackie Stewart, Graham Hill and John Surtees at the 1968 United States Grand Prix.

Norris said in the post-race press conference: "It’s pretty special. It’s nice. You know, the last few weekends he’s certainly seemed to have upped his game and as much as it, yeah, was something we once could kind of take advantage of and try and make the most of, it seems like he’s making the most of what he’s got now, and that’s cool to see.

Russell, who spent three seasons as Hamilton's Mercedes teammate, echoed Norris' thoughts. He said: "Yeah, I mean he said it pretty well. We both sort of grew up as fans of Lewis and, you know, for myself, spending three years together in Mercedes, so much respect.