Hamilton felt "in a daze" on way to dominant victory
Lewis Hamilton felt he was "in a daze" during his crushing Spanish Grand Prix victory on Sunday that extended his lead at the top of the Formula 1 drivers' championship.
Hamilton led every lap of the race at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, crossing the line more than 20 seconds clear of Red Bull's Max Verstappen in second place.
The result saw Hamilton extend his championship lead to 37 points over Verstappen, and become the all-time record holder for the most podium finishes in F1 with 156.
Coming just one week after Mercedes lost to Red Bull following tyre management struggles at Silverstone, Hamilton felt the win was a surprise, and revealed he was not aware he was on the final lap of the race.
"I was just in a daze out there. I was in a different [zone], I felt really good," Hamilton said. "Fantastic effort from the team, but God, it felt good out there today.
"It was a real surprise, because we had this problem with the tyres. Management was very, very good.
"That's ultimately our understanding of what happened last week, that we brought into this weekend, has inevitably enabled us to do what we did today.
"I didn't even know it was the last lap at the end. That's how zoned in I was. I was ready to keep going."
Mercedes had feared a repeat of its Silverstone tyre struggles due to the high track temperatures in Spain that reached 50ºC during the race.
But Hamilton found he was able to extend the stints longer than he expected, even making him consider a risky one-stop strategy at the end.
He ultimately overruled the team's wish to fit him with the soft compound tyre for the final stint, taking another set of mediums that saw him to the chequered flag.
"It's something I studied very hard before the race, understanding what tyres we were going to be using and what strategy we were going to do," Hamilton said.
"As I came to understand, I could make the tyres last longer than we had planned. I was even looking potentially going for a one-stop, but I think the strategy we have was just right.
"At the end, there was no need to take a risk of going on the soft tyre. I had a fresh, brand new medium tyre that I think was best.
"I just want to say a big, big thank you to all of the guys back at the factory, through this really difficult time, for everyone in the world just to continue on, and keep pushing."
Related video
2020 F1 Spanish Grand Prix race results
2020 F1 World Championship points after Spanish Grand Prix
Why 2022 could be Leclerc's best chance to end his Monaco F1 curse
Charles Leclerc's ill-fortune at his home Formula 1 race is well-established. But his single lap pace and over longer runs during Friday practice will leave the Ferrari driver upbeat that he can make up for his Barcelona disappointment by finally recording a finish and perhaps even banking 25 world championship points in Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix...
The inevitable consequence of the Liberty F1 popularity boom
Sell out crowds at Formula 1 races are the norm rather than the exception these days, as grand prix racing is enjoying a massive boom under Liberty Media. But the Spanish Grand Prix highlighted numerous issues some circuits may face as demand for F1 soars
The danger for Red Bull in its Barcelona F1 team orders choice
OPINION: Red Bull walked into a team orders saga on its way to taking a Spanish Grand Prix 1-2 last weekend, where it took the lead of the 2022 Formula 1 world championships for the first time. But its decisions have added an element of risk to later races.
Why Mercedes' Spanish GP gains aren't as grand as they seemed
Mercedes' strong showing in last weekend's Spanish Grand Prix prompted team boss Toto Wolff to say it had halved its deficit to the leaders and its Formula 1 title chances were back on after a rocky start to the 2022 campaign. But a closer inspection of the team's performance suggests its gains aren't as grand as they first appeared
What's next for the Green Red Bull controversy?
From the 'pink Mercedes' to the 'Green Red Bull', the Silverstone-based team has received suspicious glares from up and down the Formula 1 paddock over its car design exploits. But after being cleared by the FIA over its Spanish Grand Prix updates amid a backdrop of cries of foul play, what's next in this saga?
Spanish Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2022
In an unusually hectic Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc was denied a dominant performance by his Ferrari engine letting go which allowed Max Verstappen to pick up the pieces. But numerous flashpoints kept the race twisting and turning throughout, with one perfect score from an emerging contender
How Verstappen overcame his and Red Bull’s errors to win in Spain
Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari engine disaster offered an open goal for Max Verstappen and Red Bull to strike, but the reigning Formula 1 world champion still had to solve multiple errors and profit from a begrudged assist from team-mate Sergio Perez, which created an unexpectedly eventful Spanish Grand Prix
Why Red Bull can win a Spanish GP that looked perfect for Ferrari
Formula 1's return to Spain on Friday ended with Ferrari leading the way from Mercedes, while Red Bull could only manage third fastest overall courtesy of Max Verstappen. But its chances of victory are far from remote with a deeper dig into the times despite Ferrari's strong start...