Palmer backs Hamilton to ignite title fight

Lewis Hamilton's maiden victory as a Ferrari driver may prove to be far more significant than a single race win. According to former Formula 1 driver Jolyon Palmer, the result in Barcelona showed that the seven-time world champion has all the ingredients needed to launch a serious championship challenge in the second half of the season.

Ferrari arrived in Spain with a major upgrade package for the SF-26, and the improvements immediately paid dividends. Hamilton converted the team's newfound pace into victory, while championship leader Kimi Antonelli suffered a costly retirement due to a power unit failure, reducing his advantage at the top of the standings to 41 points.

The result has shifted the momentum of the title race and prompted renewed optimism about Ferrari's prospects for the remainder of the campaign.

“I don't see why he can't at this stage. He's consistent. The Ferrari car is improving quite well. The upgrades working in Barcelona, obviously sent him towards the wind. Without that, they're not competitive enough," Palmer said on the F1 Nation podcast.

“But as the season's going on, you look at Melbourne to Japan to Miami, all the way through, you're seeing what was a massive gulf between Mercedes and the field come down. Whether that's McLaren fighting, whether it's Verstappen starting on the front row for a couple of races, whether it's now Ferrari with Lewis back on form being able to win a race and put a strategy together,” the Briton added.

While Palmer sees Ferrari moving in the right direction, he also expects Mercedes to react quickly as the battle at the front intensifies. The Silver Arrows have controlled much of the season so far and are unlikely to allow their rivals to close the gap without a response of their own.

“Inevitably, Mercedes will respond, and I think probably the next couple of races will maybe be more towards Mercedes. Track-wise certainly Austria more than you'd say on paper for Ferrari. But the season is long, and there's only 41 points now between Hamilton and Antonelli,” Palmer concluded.