Ferrari handed strong warning after Lewis Hamilton heroics

Former Haas F1 team principal Guenther Steiner has warned Ferrari that it must "stay grounded" following Lewis Hamilton's emotional victory in the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.

The seven-time world champion secured a memorable first win for Ferrari after capitalising on a well-timed virtual safety car, although his aggressive three-stop strategy would likely have seen him charge to the front regardless.

Hamilton and Ferrari have turned a significant corner in recent rounds, with the 41-year-old having finished second, second and first in the last three races.

Many now view the Briton as a genuine title contender after he moved to within 41 points of Kimi Antonelli, especially with Ferrari's SF-26 continuing to receive major upgrades.

Hamilton's win in Barcelona was Ferrari's first since Charles Leclerc triumphed in the 2024 United States Grand Prix.

The Scuderia is making significant progress, reducing Mercedes' advantage. However, Steiner has warned that it cannot afford to get ahead of itself or become overconfident.

Asked if Ferrari has turned a corner, Steiner said on the Red Flags podcast: "Let's hope so for Fred [Vasseur]. In my opinion, it's one of those things: you can't have everything as perfect as it was last race weekend in Barcelona. It's just not possible to get it right every time like that.

"Obviously, it must be great for them, and hopefully they stay grounded and don't go back to their old selves, where there always seemed to be something in the way. 

"They need to stay grounded and build on what they achieved in Barcelona, because it was very good.

"We, and the rest of the world, always doubted everything, and now it's all come good. It would be good for the championship if they can keep this going because, even without the VSC, I still think Lewis would have won the race."