F1 legend Lewis Hamilton lashes out: 'There is a reason I have seven world championships'

Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton lashes out: 'There is a reason I have seven world championships'

Lewis Hamilton won in red for the first time

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Monday 15 June 2026 20:28 Updated: 23:00

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Lewis Hamilton launched a passionate defence of his record as an F1 driver following his stunning victory at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.

Hamilton is a seven-time world champion, the most successful driver in the history of the sport, sitting atop the all-time lists of grand prix victories, pole positions and podiums.

On Sunday, he further extended his all-time record for grand prix victories, claiming his 106th, but his first as a Ferrari driver.

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Hamilton drove brilliantly well, outpacing his two Mercedes rivals throughout the entire race, before a perfectly-timed virtual safety car allowed him to get track position ahead of George Russell.

Championship leader Kimi Antonelli then suffered a mechanical issue on his Mercedes car, forcing him to retire and score zero points, bringing Hamilton well into title contention.

The 41-year-old is now just 41 points behind Antonelli in the championship, with Russell a further nine back.

F1 RESULTS: Lewis Hamilton claims record win at Barcelona Grand Prix

Hamilton issues defiant statement

Hamilton took to the media pen after his victory to defend his F1 legacy, setting the record straight after many critics have called for him to retire from the sport in the last year or so.

"I'm fitter, I'm healthier, and in a better place personally," Hamilton told Sky Sports F1.

"I've arrived with a much better attitude, I would say even a better attitude than I started last year. I've got no injuries.

"I'm driving a car that I've helped develop, as opposed to last year, when I inherited a car that I had nothing to do with, and it is a new era which I just prefer.

"So it is a combination of things, and I'm just happy in my life as well, experience naturally really does help, and you might hear from some of your colleagues that haven't won a world championship, and there's a reason why they haven't won a world championship, and there's a reason why I have seven, and I know what it takes to win.

Lewis Hamilton celebrates victory in Barcelona.

'I know what it takes for a team to win' - Hamilton

"I know what it takes for a team to win, and I know many people that I work with know what it takes to have won championships in the past, and my sole goal is to help them and me to get to where we ultimately, I truly believe we can get to, and deserve to be."

Hamilton has been reinvigorated in 2026, already having claimed three grand prix podiums before his victory in Barcelona, and may just be starting to think that he is well and truly back to his best.

F1 HEADLINES: Lewis Hamilton hits out as FIA announce late Barcelona GP penalty

F1 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Barcelona-Catalunya Grand prix