Lewis Hamilton has stated he “nearly passed out” while celebrating with his Ferrari team after his victory on Sunday in Barcelona.
Hamilton bagged his first race win with the Italian squad as he climbed to the top step of the podium for the first time in almost two years.
The seven-time champion showed strong pace throughout the race, and his route to victory was made easier by a well-timed virtual safety car, which allowed him to take a pit stop with minimal time lost.
His victory comes amid a strong start to the year as he enjoys a step forward following a highly challenging maiden campaign with Ferrari in 2025.
Speaking after the race, Hamilton reminisced over his early memories of Ferrari and watching Michael Schumacher break records as a driver of the Maranello-based squad.
“This is the first step of our story,” Hamilton told media including RacingNews365.
“And I just learned just now that it was 30, just been reminded that it was 30 years ago that Michael won.
“I would have been at home on my couch watching that race, probably like many of you, and with a plate on my lap, eating like a sandwich, or maybe chicken noodle soup or something like that. On a Sunday, I was 12, if I wasn’t racing.
“Just looking at that red car and thinking, 'I wonder what it’s like sitting in that red cockpit?'
“My cockpit happens to be white, which I’ve not been too happy about. I wanted to be red like Michael’s. I’ll get it back red at some stage.
“[I wondered] what it would be like to sit in that red car, which I got to experience last year.”
After climbing out of his car when he returned to parc fermé, Hamilton was quick to run over to the Ferrari crew and celebrate the win.
Amid the excitement, Hamilton stated he almost “passed out” as he embraced his colleagues.
“Then be in that red suit, standing in first place in front of that amazing crew who was singing the national anthem.
“The sound was off today because they were like out of sync with the song, but it was really amazing to witness and to see the joy in their eyes and to feel it with them.
“I nearly passed out after I hugged them. My heart was exploding with joy.”
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Join RacingNews365's Samuel Coop and Nick Golding as they look back on last weekend's Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix! Lewis Hamilton's first win for Ferrari is a major talking point, as is the growing concern that Mercedes has a serious reliability issue.
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