Lewis Hamilton 'reborn' as quest for eighth F1 title starts now - International Media Reacts

The 2026 Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix will be remembered in the history books as the event at which Lewis Hamilton sealed his first grand prix win for Ferrari.

The seven-time champion finally put an end to Mercedes' hot run of form after it sealed victory at the opening six rounds of the campaign.

While George Russell was able to take second place, it was a demoralising result for championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who was forced to retire with a significant power unit issue.

McLaren too managed to sneak onto the podium, while it was a challenging weekend for Red Bull, which was largely a non-factor.

Below, you can read how media from around the world reacted to the seventh round of the F1 season, the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.

🇬🇧 The Telegraph - Five reasons why Hamilton can win title number eight

Hamilton's victory in Spain marked a peak of the strong run of form that he has been on lately, but few thought Ferrari's upgrades in Spain would be so effective.

With the seven-time champion storming to victory and standings leader Kimi Antonelli retiring, Hamilton now sits 41 points adrift in the standings.

The Telegraph has backed Hamilton to become a consistent presence in the fight at the front of the field, delivering five reasons why 2026 could finally be the year he adds an eighth title to his resumé.

They are; the Ferrari now having the best chassis, a return of a happy Hamilton, an improved Ferrari strategy team, Mercedes looking increasingly vulnerable and Hamilton's strong recent form over team-mate Charles Leclerc.

🇪🇸 Marca - Aston Martin endure disheartening as Honda form 'inexcusable'

Aston Martin has had a woeful time of it thus far in 2026, but Barcelona was no doubt its lowest moment yet.

Both its drivers qualified at the back of the grid, with Lance Stroll out-pacing Fernando Alonso in a grand prix qualifying for the first time in 42 attempts. But the Canadian was still one second down on the next car, which was the Cadillac of Valtteri Bottas.

In the grand prix, both Aston Martin cars failed to reach the chequered flag as they suffered technical issues.

Marca wonders what the situation might have been for Aston Martin if it had opted for a different engine supplier, stating Honda's situation is “inexcusable”.

But with concerns also on the aerodynamic side of operations, it is a long road ahead for the Aston Martin team.

🇮🇹 La Gazzetta dello Sport - Hamilton 'reborn' in hunt for eighth F1 title

It's no surprise that the Italian media went into frenzy on the back of Hamilton's return to the top step of the podium.

With Ferrari being such a proud Italian brand, any success story is big news in its home country. The Hamilton-Ferrari tie-up received huge attention last year, but all parties were left disappointed as the two struggled to gel.

This year, however, it has been a different story. La Gazzetta dello Sport writes that Hamilton is “reborn” as he sets his sights on a record-breaking eighth title.

While Fred Vasseur was quick to call for calm, the publication stated it is too late to drown out the hopes of many Tifosi who are keen to see Ferrari return to championship-winning ways.

🇳🇱 De Telegraaf - Verstappen could trigger Red Bull exit release clause

Max Verstappen was largely a non-factor in the fight in Barcelona, just one week on from his front-row starting position in Monaco.

The Dutchman declared that Red Bull is convincingly the fourth fastest team in the field as it stands as it starts to slip away from rival teams in the championship standings.

De Telegraaf has once again raised the long-discussed exit clause in Verstappen's contract, which he can activate at the summer break if he is not in the top two in the drivers' table.

Currently sitting seventh, Verstappen is a long way off the mark - but as the publication states, it is not guaranteed that the four-time champion will choose to do so if the option is available.

🇦🇺 New Zealand Herald - Lawson hurting Red Bull 'masterplan'

One of the more in-form drivers across the last handful of rounds has no doubt been Liam Lawson, who scored another top-eight result in Barcelona on Sunday.

The New Zealander now sits inside the top 10 in the drivers' championship and is having a much more positive time of it compared to this time last year when he was still recovering from a painful demotion from Red Bull.

The New Zealand Herald states that Lawson's current form can't be ignored as Red Bull plans for the future.

With Arvid Lindblad drafted in this year and also having an impressive rookie campaign, the Milton Keynes-based squad may have a tough decision on its hands when it comes to deciding its future line-up.