The 41-year-old claimed his first Ferrari win after fearing age had taken away his edge

Lewis Hamilton has ended his long wait for a Formula One victory with Ferrari, admitting afterwards that months of struggle had left him questioning whether age had taken away his winning edge.

The 41-year-old delivered a controlled performance at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Sunday, claiming the 106th grand prix victory of his career and his first for Ferrari. The result ended a 41-race winless run and revived his hopes of challenging for the drivers’ championship.

Hamilton began the race in second place behind Mercedes driver George Russell. Ferrari’s decision to commit him to a three-stop strategy proved decisive, while a virtual safety car following Fernando Alonso’s incident also arrived at a useful moment.

The seven-time world champion converted that opportunity into a commanding win. Russell crossed the line second, with McLaren’s Lando Norris completing the podium in third.

Yet Hamilton’s celebrations carried the weight of a difficult first year with Ferrari. He said the setbacks had sometimes forced him to wonder whether drivers inevitably lost their ability when they reached a certain stage of their careers.

“After a year like last year, there were definitely moments that I was like, ‘Sheesh, maybe it is true that when you get to a certain point, you lose it,’” Hamilton said.

Sunday gave him the answer he wanted. Hamilton insisted the instinct to compete at the highest level had never disappeared, although rediscovering it demanded patience, physical effort and relentless self-belief.

“I’ve proven you don’t. You always have it,” he said. “It takes work, it takes perseverance, constant believing in yourself, to tap into your inner self.”

Hamilton also addressed the criticism that followed his early difficulties at Ferrari. Social media attacks had affected him more deeply than he initially admitted, but support from family and close friends helped him regain perspective.

He then began an intense personal reset on Christmas Day. The training programme that followed, he said, was harder than anything he had previously experienced.

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur described the victory as a reward for Hamilton’s resilience. He acknowledged that the driver’s arrival had not produced immediate success and that both sides required time to understand each other.

Vasseur said Hamilton continued to bring energy to the project, even during low moments. He kept working with the team and pushing at the factory instead of allowing disappointment to weaken his commitment.

Toto Wolff, Hamilton’s former Mercedes team principal, also welcomed the result. Wolff said Hamilton deserved the victory after enduring an especially difficult previous season.

Wolff accepted that the virtual safety car may have helped Ferrari’s strategy, but he stressed that such moments form part of racing. He also joked that Hamilton’s relationship with Kim Kardashian might be contributing to his renewed happiness.

The win has tightened the championship contest. Mercedes teenager Kimi Antonelli retired late in the race, leaving Hamilton 41 points behind the 19-year-old championship leader.

Hamilton said rebuilding his mentality had been central to returning to the top step.

“You’ve got to believe in yourself at the core,” he said. “I’ve rebuilt my mind to this point, to get myself back to where I was.”

Standing on the podium in Ferrari red provided an emotional release after the uncertainty of the previous year. Hamilton joked that he might sleep in his red team top because of how much it meant to carry the Ferrari emblem after finally winning for the Italian team.

The drought is over, but the result may represent more than one victory. Barcelona offered proof to Hamilton and his critics that the champion who dominated Formula One for years has not disappeared.