Ferrari chairman sends heartfelt tribute to Hamilton after Barcelona triumph

While the VSC certainly played a role, it does little to diminish the outstanding display Hamilton produced, particularly during the final stint of the race. The seven-time world champion delivered a performance that finally saw him return to the very highest level, underlining the pace and racecraft that have defined his career. With Kimi Antonelli's retirement also reshaping the championship picture, Hamilton now finds himself in a more favourable position as he continues his pursuit of a long-awaited eighth world title.

Hamilton's breakthrough victory was naturally met with widespread praise after what represented a historic moment for both the driver and Ferrari. Among those to congratulate the Briton was Ferrari chairman John Elkann, who hailed the success as an emotional milestone and an important achievement for the entire team and its supporters.

Elkann also paid tribute to the collective effort behind the result, thanking everyone at Ferrari for the dedication, sacrifice and commitment shown every day both at the circuit and back in Maranello: "Well done Lewis, on your first great victory with Ferrari: an emotional moment and a very important result, which belongs to the entire team and to all our fans. I would like to thank everyone for the determination, sacrifice and collective effort that they demonstrate every day with passion and Ferrari spirit, both at the track and in Maranello."

He extended his appreciation to Ferrari's endurance racing programme as well, praising the team's determination and professionalism during a demanding edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans: "My thanks also go to the other Ferrari team, which tackled an incredibly demanding 24 Hours of Le Mans with pride, unity and great professionalism, fighting until the very end. Forza Ferrari."

Hamilton admitted that, given Ferrari's difficult start to the season, thoughts of an eighth world title had not been at the forefront of his mind. Instead, his focus had been on returning to winning ways, while recognising that building a championship-contending package would take time. He highlighted Mercedes' impressive early-season form and acknowledged that Ferrari still faces a power deficit, a weakness that becomes even more evident on circuits featuring long straights.

Despite that, the Briton remains encouraged by the foundations of the car, believing there is significant potential to unlock through continued development. He explained that improving performance through the corners could help offset some of the disadvantage until Ferrari manages to close the gap in outright power. For now, however, he is not looking too far ahead and is instead approaching the season one race at a time.

Hamilton also revealed that he will spend time at Maranello in the coming days to review the latest data with the team and assess the development programme. Together with the engineers, he plans to evaluate the upgrades currently in the pipeline, understand their expected impact and, if necessary, help steer the direction of future development.