Former Formula 1 driver Stefan Johansson has highlighted Lewis Hamilton’s brilliance in securing victory at the Spanish Grand Prix earlier this year, calling it the “mark of a champion”.
The seven-time world champion opted for an aggressive three-stop strategy at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, while most of those around him committed to a two-stop race.
It was Hamilton at his very best and resulted in Ferrari’s first victory of the season. While a virtual safety car arrived at an opportune moment, the expectation is that the Briton would have won regardless.
Despite committing to the three-stop strategy early on, Hamilton remained calm and was quick throughout the entire weekend.
The strategy itself is one Johansson believes very few drivers could successfully pull off, with it separating drivers such as Hamilton and Max Verstappen, who capitalise on a “2%” chance.
For Hamilton and the Scuderia, it was evidence that Mercedes can be beaten, with the 41-year-old sitting 50 points adrift of Kimi Antonelli in the standings.
“I think the Barcelona race was a classic Lewis Hamilton win,” Johansson told the official F1 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.
“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.”