Toto Wolff has declared Lewis Hamilton is "absolutely" in the 2026 title race following his breakthrough win for Ferrari in Barcelona.
Hamilton defeated Mercedes to land his 106th grand prix victory in the first-ever Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, but it was his first for Ferrari at the 31st attempt.
The win, coupled with a DNF for championship leader Kimi Antonelli, allowed Hamilton to reduce the points deficit to the Italian down to 41 from 66, although Antonelli would have held a 59-point lead had his car not suffered an "electrical shutdown" moments after passing George Russell for second.
Hamilton had not tasted grand prix success in F1 since winning the 2024 Belgian GP for Mercedes, 686 days prior, as Wolff declared that his former driver was firmly in the hunt for an eighth drivers' crown - as the Austrian also told his own team it needed to stay "absolutely on it."
"Congratulations to Lewis, he's worked so hard and has gone through so many difficult moments, particularly last year," Wolff told media, including RacingNews365.
"Whole-heartedly, I am happy for him that he has won, and I've always said that if it was not for our two to win, then it should be Lewis, and he merited it.
"Of course, you can say the VSC came at the right time, but that's what it is. I'm happy for Fred, who has had a tough time. He's my friend, even if we annoy each other sometimes, but the pressure of running Ferrari is enormous, and that's why I am happy.
"I am relieved for him, and he is close to my heart."
When then asked about Hamilton being a title contender, Wolff declared that his former driver was.
"Yes, absolutely," Wolff said.
"We are so early in the season, the gap is 41 points, and you see a DNF rob you of 25 points, and it is wide open.
"That's why we can't afford not to finish, and we just need to keep putting performance on the car and then the power unit and not make mistakes, be clever with the strategy and stay absolutely on it."
Originally published by RacingNews365 —
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