Lewis Hamilton reminds us that age is just a number
- Published on 15 / 06 / 2026 at 11: 41
King Lewis ©Xavier Bonilla / DPPIIn an increasingly young Formula 1, Hamilton offered a brilliant revenge to the veterans at the 2026 Barcelona Grand Prix.
By winning at the wheel of his Classic Ferrari for sale, Lewis Hamilton At 41 years, 5 months and 7 days, he became the oldest Grand Prix winner since Jack Brabham in 1970. More than half a century separates the two performances.
The figure is all the more striking given that the current grid has barely two drivers in their forties: Hamilton and Fernando AlonsoThe rest of the field belongs to generations sometimes born after the first world titles of the two men. The contrast is particularly striking with Kimi Antonelli, championship leader at only 19 years old, twenty-two years younger than the Briton.
This victory also allows Hamilton to join a particularly exclusive club. Since the creation of the World Championship in 1950, very few drivers have managed to win after their 41st birthday. The names of Juan Manuel Fangio, Giuseppe Farina, Luigi Fagioli, Piero Taruffi, Jack Brabham, and Nigel Mansell are among these exceptions. Hamilton now joins this lineage of champions capable of defying time.
The forty-somethings greet you!
It's also impossible not to think of Fernando Alonso. At 44, the Spaniard remains the oldest driver on the grid and is even almost four years older than Hamilton. The two-time world champion hasn't tasted victory for 4782 days, but his consistent performances in recent seasons have significantly contributed to pushing back the limits of longevity in Formula 1. Formula 1It is indeed a striking contrast: Hamilton has just ended a drought of 41 races, while Alonso remains stuck at 32 victories for more than thirteen years, which today constitutes the longest wait between two successes for a driver still active.
Some hoped that the Asturian would be the next forty-year-old to return to winning ways. In the end, it was his eternal rival who struck first.
At a time when careers are built earlier and earlier, Barcelona reminds us that in Formula 1, talent, experience and determination can sometimes withstand the passage of years.
READ ALSO : Ferrari praises Lewis Hamilton's victory: "He was magnificent."
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I don't think we were blind when he qualified 18th, seemingly preoccupied with other things, at the end of last season. He had already shown signs of demotivation at Mercedes, especially at the beginning of 2022. With such a track record, fighting for 5th place in the championship or scraping together a few points doesn't interest him. It was legitimate to wonder if that motivation would return, and it was damaging Ferrari's image given the transfer fee. But conversely, if the car performs well (and he's done that to us at Mercedes in recent years), the desire returns if a victory is possible. He put on a demonstration of driving skill and strategy reminiscent of his peak at Mercedes. It remains to be seen if this is a lasting trend, but if it is, his much less experienced championship rivals have something to worry about.
And yes, that's why I don't particularly like Alonso. He never admitted in 2007 that Lewis, then his teammate at McLaren in his first F1 season, was giving him driving lessons, and without Fernando's irreverent attitude towards Lewis on and off the track, Lewis would have won his first championship title as a rookie!
A loyal supporter of Nando since 2001, I didn't appreciate his attitude in 2007 at all, nor all the spiteful remarks he's made towards Lewis since then. The fact that Hamilton scored the winning goal after 40 years makes me very happy.
Nevertheless, I remain in solidarity with poor Alonso who is suffering a martyrdom at Chaz Aston, when logically, between the Honda PU and the design of the car by Newey, he could reasonably have hoped to be in the first third of the grid.
For fun, we can note that Nando has 2 titles and 7 transfers compared to 7 titles and 2 transfers for Lewis 😁
Hamilton's victory must surely make his former McLaren teammate, driving the "made in Temu" Aston Martin, a little jealous!