In his 31st grand prix start for Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton has finally taken the Scuderia to the top step of the podium, his first Formula 1 win in two years and his 106th career victory. In an upgraded SF-26, Hamilton opted for a front-footed three-stop strategy to put pressure on Mercedes' George Russell. And while aided by a virtual safety car to get track position on his former team-mate, Hamilton then obliterated the Mercedes with vastly superior pace in the final stint, suggesting the win was always going to be his and his alone.
And how much it meant to him was clear from his outburst of joy on the cooldown lap, to his tears watching on as his crew sang the Italian national anthem, to his embrace with team boss Fred Vasseur, the man who risked his own skin to bring Hamilton to Maranello in the first place.
