Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner believes Lewis Hamilton has "silenced all doubters", including himself, following his emotional victory in the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.
The seven-time world champion secured his first win for Ferrari, prompting huge celebrations in the paddock as the Italian national anthem rang out.
It marked a significant moment in the season because not only did Hamilton become the first non-Mercedes driver to claim a victory in 2026, he also thrust himself firmly into title contention.
Hamilton sits second in the standings, 41 points behind Kimi Antonelli, with Mercedes having had no answer to the 41-year-old's excellent pace.
Ferrari's decision to commit to an aggressive three-stop strategy caught the Silver Arrows by surprise, and although Hamilton benefited from a virtual safety car, he would likely have won without it.
The veteran has faced significant criticism in recent months, with some calling for him to retire from F1 and claiming he is no longer good enough. However, according to Steiner, his victory has silenced them all.
Discussing Hamilton's win, Steiner said on the Red Flags podcast: "Just everything went right, and I wouldn't go as far as to say they were in the twilight zone, but when you win, obviously you have to say everything was perfect. But it actually was. I mean, there wasn't a single mistake, and the car was fast.
"Back at a race track they know very well, the upgrade obviously worked because the car was quicker. The only area where they weren't the best was qualifying; we saw that.
"Mercedes maybe didn't perform as we expected in the race. In qualifying, obviously they did. But in the race, they weren't perfect. As soon as Mercedes wasn't perfect, Ferrari was close enough to take advantage.
"Obviously, Lewis is now enjoying himself because he hasn't won for a while. This is what he wanted, and now he's silenced all the doubters, like you and me."
Originally published by RacingNews365 —
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