FACTORS THAT COULD TAKE 'REBUILT' LEWIS HAMILTON TO THE F1 TITLE

Signing Hamilton in 2024 was something of a risk for Ferrari, too, given that when the move was announced, his most recent win had been more than two years before. With plenty of runner-up finishes...

- BY ANKIT SHARMA

A "rebuilt" mind, family and friends, and an innovative part called the Macarena.

These are just some of the building blocks in Lewis Hamilton's resurgence at the front of the Formula 1 field. The seven-time champion's breakthrough first win with Ferrari on Sunday, his first since 2024, left him second in the standings and cut into the overall lead of Kimi Antonelli, the driver who replaced Hamilton when he left Mercedes. Getting back to the front has been a long and painful process, and Hamilton shed some light on his journey after the win in Spain.

MENTAL WELLBEING TAKES PRIORITY

Hamilton said he'd trained harder than ever ahead of this season to keep up with younger rivals like the 19-year-old Antonelli, after an injury dogged him through 2025 and he started to doubt his abilities. That paid off as Hamilton became, at 41 years, 5 months, the oldest F1 winner since 1970, but it wasn't all about physical fitness. Mental wellbeing has been central to his recovery.