Former Formula 1 driver Stefan Johansson praised the efforts of Lewis Hamilton to roar to victory at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix earlier this season.
Hamilton’s victory at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya secured Ferrari its first victory of the season and its first victory in a year. The moment became an important milestone for the seven-time World Champion as it was his first win in red.
After lining up second on the grid, Hamilton pushed past Mercedes’ George Russell and held off the drivers lurking behind. Eventually, the Ferrari driver left the pack in the dust as he stormed to a dominant victory with nearly a 20-second lead. A significant factor in the victory was the strategy calls.
While most of the grid was on a two-stop strategy, Hamilton opted for an alternative three-stop. The bold move and a Virtual Safety Car aided his win, but Hamilton impressed regardless.
‘A classic Lewis Hamilton win’
Hamilton’s era in red started off rough as the former champion familiarised himself with the Scuderia. But when he found his footing, the 41-year-old delivered. Despite taking only one win this season, Hamilton’s consistency has put him second in the Drivers’ Standings. His consistency, combined with the brilliance seen at the Barcelona-Catalunya GP, is part of what distinguishes Hamilton from other drivers.
Stefan Johansson claimed that the three-stop strategy could not be performed by just any driver and deemed its successful execution “the mark of a champion”.
“I think the Barcelona race was a classic Lewis Hamilton win,” Johansson told the official Formula 1 website.
“He had a sniff of a win in practice, he knew that he could maybe make it work, he laid the plan out long before the race, and he just executed perfectly, and that’s really what won it.
“I frankly don’t think many drivers would have won that race in his circumstances, but he knew exactly what he needed to do and he got it done.” The former F1 driver continued.
“That’s the mark of a champion. Those are the guys that can take a 2% opportunity and make it happen. The same as Max Verstappen.”
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