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Max Verstappen has issued a warm reaction to Lewis Hamilton’s first win for Ferrari at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.
Verstappen, who finished fourth, came to congratulate his former title rival Hamilton in parc ferme just after the race.
And speaking to Viaplay in the media pen, the Red Bull driver acknowledged that it was a ‘very special’ moment for F1.
Your podium for the 2026 Barcelona GP 🇪🇸 But where does Lewis Hamilton finish without the VSC?
Max Verstappen describes Lewis Hamilton’s Barcelona GP win as ‘very special’
Verstappen was impressed by Hamilton’s pace, even if a virtual safety car played into the 41-year-old’s hands during his battle with Mercedes.
After the first pit stops, Hamilton struggled to make inroads against race leader George Russell and was even being hunted down by Kimi Antonelli, Lando Norris and Verstappen behind.
But Ferrari took a strategic gamble by coming in early, committing to the three stop, and Hamilton began taking huge chunks of time out of the Silver Arrows pair on fresher tyres. That suggests he might have won the race even without the VSC.
“A beautiful moment, and I think he went quite fast today, from what I could see,” said Verstappen. “I think it’s quite special to win your first – even though you’ve already won so many – with your new team. It’s always very special.”
Did the Barcelona GP earn a perfect 10/10, or was there more you wanted to see?
Hamilton had already won a record 105 F1 races, 84 with Mercedes and 21 with McLaren, but has finally completed the set by standing on the top step in red.
The two drivers were once sporting nemeses, but there now appears to be a great deal of respect in their relationship.
Hamilton has an outside chance of winning the world title, particularly after Kimi Antonelli’s retirement, but for the first time since 2020, Verstappen may not be a factor in the race whatsoever.
Much like his win at the British GP two years ago, which ended the longest drought of his career, Hamilton’s victory has proven to be very popular in the paddock.
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