Red Bull driver Max Verstappen has offered his congratulations to Lewis Hamilton on social media following the Ferrari driver’s victory at the Barcelona Grand Prix.

Hamilton claimed the first win of his Ferrari career in Barcelona on Sunday.

Max Verstappen: Lewis Hamilton Ferrari win ‘a special moment’

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It marked a record-extending 106th career victory for the seven-time world champion, whose most recent win occurred in his final season with Mercedes in 2024.

Hamilton’s triumph saw him become the first non-Mercedes driver to win a race in the F1 2026 season, allowing him to strengthen his grip on second place in the standings.

The 41-year-old trails championship leader Kimi Antonelli by 41 points following the Italian’s first retirement of the campaign.

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A number of drivers were seen offering their congratulations to Hamilton in parc ferme in the immediate aftermath of the race.

Among them was Verstappen, who was embroiled in a bitter rivalry with Hamilton during the Red Bull driver’s maiden title-winning season in 2021.

In a post to social media on Sunday, Verstappen, who finished 40 seconds adrift of Hamilton in fourth place, offered his congratulations to the Ferrari man.

Verstappen wrote: “A bit of a lonely race out there today, but we maximised the result.

“Congrats Lewis Hamilton, first win in red.”

Verstappen’s post, which has been ‘liked’ by more than 750,000 accounts at the time of writing, was accompanied by an ‘applause’ emoji.

Speaking to PlanetF1.com and other media outlets following the chequered flag in Spain, Verstappen remarked that it was “a special moment” for Hamilton to claim his first victory with Ferrari.

Asked what he said to Hamilton in parc ferme, Verstappen replied: “Well done. Congratulations.

“It’s always super special to win. Even when you’ve won already so much, to win with Ferrari for the first time, I think it’s always a special moment.”

Verstappen’s comments come after John Elkann, the Ferrari chairman and a long-term friend of Hamilton, issued a statement in response to the seven-time world champion’s victory.

Hamilton’s victory fell on the same day Ferrari’s dominance at the Le Mans 24 Hours was ended by Toyota.

The Scuderia had been unbeaten at Le Mans since entering the hypercar category of the World Endurance Championship in 2023.

Elkann said: “Well done Lewis on your first great victory with Ferrari: an emotional moment and a very important result, which belongs to the entire team and to all our fans.

“I would like to thank everyone for the determination, sacrifice and collective effort that they demonstrate every day with passion and Ferrari spirit, both at the track and in Maranello.

“My thanks also go to the other Ferrari team, which tackled an incredibly demanding 24 Hours of Le Mans with pride, unity and great professionalism, fighting until the very end.

“Forza Ferrari.”

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

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