Stefan Johansson: Lewis Hamilton's Barcelona Masterclass Was Pure Champion Stuff

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Stefan Johansson: Lewis Hamilton's Barcelona Masterclass Was Pure Champion Stuff

Lewis Hamilton took out a massive win at Barcelona earlier this season, and former F1 driver Stefan Johansson reckons it was textbook championship driving. The seven-time world champion absolutely nailed a three-stop strategy at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya when basically everyone else around him committed to two stops. It's the kind of call that doesn't come off nine times out of ten, but Hamilton made it happen.

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What impressed Johansson most wasn't just the strategy call itself, but how Hamilton stayed composed and delivered the pace across the entire weekend. A virtual safety car did pop up at a handy moment for him, though by all accounts he'd have won anyway. It's the type of performance that shows why there's a clear difference between the elite drivers and everyone else on the grid. Hamilton's calm execution separates the contenders from the pretenders.

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Johansson reckons very few drivers would've pulled off a three-stop race in those circumstances. He compared it to what Max Verstappen does, capitalising on those tiny slivers of opportunity that most drivers simply don't see or can't execute. For Hamilton and Ferrari, it proved that Mercedes aren't untouchable this year, though the Briton still sits a fair chunk of points behind Kimi Antonelli in the standings. The win showed Hamilton's Ferrari adventure is hitting its stride at just the right moment in the season.

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