Hamilton Celebrates Best Weekend of 2024 with Podium Finish at Spanish GP

Lewis Hamilton expressed his elation after achieving his “best weekend” performance of 2024 with a podium finish at the Spanish Grand Prix, trailing behind Max Verstappen and Lando Norris.

Hamilton’s landmark 198th podium placement in F1 at the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix marked a significant moment for the seven-time champion after a hiatus since last year’s Mexico Grand Prix.

Following a challenging start that saw teammate George Russell overtake him from P4 to seize the lead while Hamilton slipped to P4, the British driver displayed superior pace to Russell. Utilizing a soft-medium-soft strategy, he secured P3, with a five-second lead over Russell.

“I feel great, I feel fantastic, I’ve got plenty of energy,” shared Hamilton post-race. “After a bad start, to recover and secure P3 is a fantastic achievement. I’m really pleased – especially with my second and final stints being notably robust. The initial stint was a recovery phase from the poor start, hence a bit more challenging. However, we’re making progress, narrowing the gap, and immense gratitude to the team for our gradual improvement.”

Highlighting the perfection of the weekend’s performance, Hamilton remarked, “This is the best weekend I’ve had all year, and in a long while, spanning about 15 races. It’s great to be back, engage in battles like today, and reaffirm our strengths.”

Throughout the race, Hamilton executed daring passes, including ones on Russell and Carlos Sainz‘s Ferrari. His bold maneuver at Turn 1 on Lap 19 of 66, prompting Sainz to voice concerns over team radio, was deemed fair by race stewards.

Defending the decisive move post-race, Hamilton asserted, “I believe it was a clean overtake. He didn’t defend the inside line, leaving the door open, which I capitalized on with a late move alongside him. It was wheel-to-wheel action, and I allowed him sufficient room along the track.

Mercedes has now achieved back-to-back podium finishes for the first time since 2023, where they secured top positions initially at Canada and then Spain – reversing the sequence this time around, at Spain and then Canada.

Race Highlights: 2024 Spanish Grand Prix