The victory of Lewis Hamilton at the Barcelona Grand Prix in Formula 1 this Sunday could represent much more than a solitary win in the season. For Nico Rosberg, the result has the potential to further boost the confidence of the Ferrari driver in the fight for the 2026 championship.
The former Mercedes teammate described the Briton’s success as a historic moment. According to Rosberg, the achievement gains even more significance because it comes after the difficulties the seven-time champion faced since joining Ferrari in early 2025.
After swapping Mercedes for the Italian team, Hamilton underwent a period of adaptation in Maranello. By 2026, results began to appear, with the Barcelona victory being preceded by two consecutive second places in Canada and Monaco, as well as a third place in China.
Speaking after the race, Rosberg stated he was happy for his former rival: “I can sincerely enjoy this moment with him. I just congratulated him and I was very happy to do so because it’s something incredible,” said the former F1 driver and 2016 champion.
The German recalled the difficulties Hamilton faced at the start of his path with Ferrari and highlighted the transformation seen today: “I felt a lot for the difficulties he faced when he began at Ferrari. It was horrible to watch. Now he’s thriving, flying, confident and enjoying all of this. This victory is historic. It’s spectacular. It was a great day for him and for the sport,” he added.
Rosberg believes that the positive moment could have even larger effects in the upcoming stages of the season. In the assessment of the former driver, good results generate confidence and create a cycle capable of elevating the performance of both the competitor and the team.
“He is entering a positive cycle. You achieve good results, you become more motivated, happier and work even harder. This will take him to an even higher level together with his team. They are having an incredible moment right now,” he added.
With the Barcelona win, Hamilton reduced the gap to Kimi Antonelli in the championship standings. The Ferrari driver occupies second place and is 41 points behind the leader, who retired from the race after issues with his Mercedes car. George Russell sits in third place, nine points behind Hamilton, ahead of the next round of the season, the Austrian Grand Prix.
