MONTMELO, Spain (AP) — Lewis Hamilton’s wait for a race victory with Ferrari is over.
Yellow helmet still on, Hamilton pumped his fists and took a running leap into the arms of his fellow crimson-clad crew members after parking his Ferrari in the No. 1 spot on winner's row following his masterful race at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix on Sunday.
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Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain celebrates after wining the Spain F1 Grand Prix race at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, June 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton, right, of Britain celebrates on the podium next to countryman Mercedes driver George Russell, second place, after winning the Spain F1 Grand Prix race at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, June 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain celebrates after wining the Spain F1 Grand Prix race at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, June 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
Mercedes drivers George Russell, left, of Britain and Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy steer their cars during the Spain F1 Grand Prix race at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, June 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain steers his car during the Spain F1 Grand Prix race at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, June 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain steers his car during the Spain F1 Grand Prix race at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, June 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain steers his car during qualifying session for the Spain F1 Grand Prix at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, June 13, 2026. (Manaure Quintero/Pool Photo via AP)
From left: Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain, Mercedes driver George Russell of Britain, and Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy celebrate after qualifying session for the Spain F1 Grand Prix at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, June 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
Mercedes driver George Russell of Britain celebrates his pole position after qualifying session for the Spain F1 Grand Prix at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, June 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
Mercedes driver George Russell of Britain returns to the pits after session for the Spain F1 Grand Prix at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, June 13, 2026. (Manaure Quintero/Pool Photo via AP)
It had been a throwback, vintage Hamilton win. A victory that showed the seven-time champion, whose last title came in 2020, may just be back to his best at age 41.
Hamilton thanked and thanked again his teammates, the engineers back in Italy, his family and his fans in an emotional celebration for the driver who once dominated the sport but hadn’t won a race in nearly two years.
“I watched Ferrari have all this success when I was younger and wondered what it would be like to win in this car. I’m forever grateful and hopefully the first of many," Hamilton said from the winner's podium while thousands cheered.
His record-extending victory No. 106 may have also ignited a title fight with a Mercedes that looked untouchable following a rulebook overhaul this year and had won all six previous races.
“They are all special in their own way, but this one is something else,” Hamilton said about the importance of a victory that ended a run of 40 races without a win, 30 of which had come since his move from Mercedes to Ferrari at the end of 2024. His last win had come at the Belgian GP in July of that year.
“It’s all starting to come together and I’m just happy in my life," said Hamilton, who looks like a different driver from the despondent racer who struggled with Ferrari last campaign and never even reached the podium in a grand prix.
Hamilton admitted that during his troublesome first year with Ferrari he reached a point when he thought “maybe it is true that you get to a certain point you lose it.
“But you don’t. It takes perseverance to tap into that inner self… now I feel great racing with 19 year olds.”
To sweeten the day for Ferrari, Hamilton was already cruising to victory when Kimi Antonelli, the F1 points leader, came to a stop on the track with just four laps to go when his Mercedes suffered an electrical shutdown.
That ended the young Italian's incredible run of five straight wins.
Antonelli still leads with 156 points after seven races, but Hamilton has closed the gap and has 115. George Russell guided his Mercedes to a second-place finish and now has 106 points.
It was Hamilton’s seventh win at this track, a record at Montmelo, and his first here since 2021.
He was building toward this long-awaited victory with runner-up finishes at Canada and Monaco. He said he had set the “foundation” with Ferrari before he qualified second ahead of Antonelli for the Barcelona race.
“Thank you so much to help me achieve this dream,” Hamilton said on team radio after crossing the finish line more than 19 seconds ahead of Russell. “Thank you for everyone pushing so hard at home, thanks to my family, and to my fans who continue to remind me who I am. I couldn’t have done this without you.”
Hamilton took advantage of fresher tires and a superior pitstop strategy by Ferrari to overtake the pole-sitting Russell.
Ferrari opted for a three-stop race to give Hamilton fresher tires on a track that is known to be hard on rubber, especially with track temperatures at 50 Celsius (122 F). The quicker wheels had him slip ahead of Russell, who, like Antonelli, was on a two-stop plan, when a bit of luck sealed it for Hamilton.
A stoppage by Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin brought out a virtual safety car, and Ferrari called in Hamilton for his final stop while his rivals couldn’t push the pace, and he emerged in the lead with a fresh set of tires.
Seeing Hamilton slip away, Russell was left to protect his position from Antonelli. They had jousted earlier in the race, before Antonelli eventually swept past.
Moments later, it all unraveled for Antonelli when he stopped and his shot at 18 points vanished.
Russell said his team will need to solve their mechanical issues, after he also had a late breakdown in Canada. He also had some nice words for Hamilton, his former teammate.
“It was a big bold move to join Ferrari and to see it paying off now is great to see, he is going to be a real threat,” Russell said.
Defending F1 champion Lando Norris was third in his McLaren, making it the first all-British podium since 1968.
Max Verstappen for Red Bull in fourth. Oscar Piastri, who won here last year, was fifth in the other McLaren.
Isack Hadjar of Red Bull was sixth, followed by Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto of Alpine. Liam Lawson and Avrid Lindblad rounded out the top 10.
Hamilton's teammate, Charles Leclerc, had to retire late when his Ferrari failed due to a hydraulic problem.
Alonso had a dismal day in what he said is likely his last race in northeastern Spain. The 44-year-old former champion started from the pitlane following an engine change after bottoming out in qualifying and then broke down in the race. Aston Martin’s other car, driven by Lance Stroll, retired early because of a gearbox issue.
This is the last race near Barcelona for two years. It will return in 2028 as it alternates on the F1 calendar with the Belgian GP at least through 2032.
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Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain celebrates after wining the Spain F1 Grand Prix race at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, June 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton, right, of Britain celebrates on the podium next to countryman Mercedes driver George Russell, second place, after winning the Spain F1 Grand Prix race at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, June 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain celebrates after wining the Spain F1 Grand Prix race at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, June 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
Mercedes drivers George Russell, left, of Britain and Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy steer their cars during the Spain F1 Grand Prix race at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, June 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain steers his car during the Spain F1 Grand Prix race at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, June 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain steers his car during the Spain F1 Grand Prix race at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, June 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain steers his car during qualifying session for the Spain F1 Grand Prix at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, June 13, 2026. (Manaure Quintero/Pool Photo via AP)
From left: Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain, Mercedes driver George Russell of Britain, and Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy celebrate after qualifying session for the Spain F1 Grand Prix at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, June 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
Mercedes driver George Russell of Britain celebrates his pole position after qualifying session for the Spain F1 Grand Prix at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, June 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
Mercedes driver George Russell of Britain returns to the pits after session for the Spain F1 Grand Prix at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, June 13, 2026. (Manaure Quintero/Pool Photo via AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump marked his 80th birthday on Sunday by hailing an initial agreement to end the war in Iran and staging a once unfathomable cage-fighting show on the storied South Lawn of the White House.
Trump had been touting the emerging deal for weeks, and last-minute strikes in the conflict had threatened to overshadow the ostentatious UFC mixed martial arts extravaganza — where combatants inside a wire-mesh octagon tried to punch, kick, chop and pummel each other into submission.
Ahead of the fight starting, however, the president said an agreement to end the conflict “is now complete." He declared that the U.S. will end its blockade of Iran, and that Strait of Hormuz would reopen, potentially easing high oil prices and skittish global markets. But the crucial details are still to be negotiated.
Word of the deal was a prefight present for Trump but his focus quickly shifted to UFC. Top administration officials and Republican leaders attended, including FBI Director Kash Patel and House Speaker Mike Johnson. Polish President Karol Nawrocki was spotted heading into the White House for it, too.
Trump and UFC chief Dana White walked together from the Oval Office to the Blue Room Balcony to survey the Octagon and stood for the national anthem as fighter jets thundered overhead. The crowd chanted, “USA! USA!”
More than 4,000 spectators were invited to a temporary arena under “ The Claw,” a spaceship-like metal arch fitted with lighting, sound equipment and large screens. Thousands more watched on big screens from the nearby Ellipse.
“This event is a one of one event, incredible event. I love it,” said White, a close friend of the president's, during a Friday night hype session at the Lincoln Memorial, where pairs of fighters shoved and scuffled for the cameras under the stoic gaze of Honest Abe’s marble likeness.
First lady Melania Trump also attended. As Diego Lopes was defeating American Steve Garcia in the opening fight, the president could be seen speaking to the first lady while watching the knockout. After Bo Nickal knocked out Kyle Daukaus in the second fight, Nickal went over to Trump and kneeled down, speaking briefing with the president.
In a subsequent interview with White, Nickal marveled at fighting at the White House and thanked Trump “for making this happen.” Trump-favorite “YMCA” then played.
Trump has sought to tie Sunday’s event to larger, monthslong celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. But it is much more geared toward feting himself, so much so that the G7 summit for leaders of industrialized nations pushed back their get-together so that the president could attend his cage-match party and then fly to Europe for the meetings.
The weekend hasn’t been all smiles for the president, meanwhile. Crews pried the president’s name off the Kennedy Center about a mile from Trump’s birthday bash after a judge ruled naming it after Trump had gone too far.
And, before the fight began, UFC Middleweight champion Sean Strickland — an outspoken critic of Israel — was escorted out of the Ellipse by a crowd of law enforcement officers, for reasons that weren't immediately clear.
Forecasts had predicted a strong chance of thunderstorms and high winds, which delayed the event's start briefly — but subsequently didn't cause major issues.
“I’m sick and tired of hearing about the weather,” White declared on Friday, before conceding that he'd prefer to hold future UFC events inside arenas only.
When Trump’s predecessor, President Joe Biden, turned 80 in November 2022, he celebrated with a private family brunch at the White House, laying bare just how much and how quickly things have changed.
Asked about the contrast, White House spokesperson Allison Schuster said that the fight event “will be one of the most entertaining nights in American history" and said that the timing was appropriate.
“Having this spectacle take place at the people’s house on Flag Day during our nations’ semiquincentennial anniversary is a fitting tribute,” Schuster said in a statement.
When he turned 80, Biden was the oldest president in U.S. history, and was months away from launching a reelection bid that he would ultimately abandon after a disastrous debate against Trump and mutiny among Democrats concerned he was too old to handle a second term.
Trump has now supplanted Biden as the oldest person to be elected U.S. president. He’s constitutionally barred from running again, yet constantly toys with the notion publicly. That’s despite polls showing rising public skepticism about Trump’s mental and physical health — recalling concerns Biden faced as he turned 80.
A Washington Post/ABC News/Ipsos poll conducted in April found that less than half of U.S. adults think Trump has the mental sharpness or physical health to serve effectively as president.
The White House countered with a lengthy statement from Trump's former White House physician, Texas Republican Rep. Ronny Jackson, saying Trump's “stamina, focus, and strength are exceptional and on display every day. Claims to the contrary are pure fiction.” Jackson added that polling concerns were “being propagated by the same biased, liberal, Trump-hating press that completely ignored the absolute cognitive and physical disaster that was President Biden.”
The UFC is an apt metaphor for Trump's pugilistic political style. He is as big a fan of cage-match-style politics as he is of cage-fighting itself.
But Trump has also long been a master of political misdirection, purposely presenting people with something other than his presidency to focus on when things aren’t going well.
With the war in Iran grinding on before Sunday's announcement — even during weeks of assurances from Trump that its end is nigh — gas prices skyrocketed. Renewed concerns about inflation and plummeting job approval ratings for Trump helped ensure that a White House birthday party unlike anything America has ever seen can certainly qualify as a diversion.
“This is all distraction,” said Mike Fontaine, a classics professor at Cornell University, who likened it to the gladiatorial games of Imperial Rome, when combatants brutalized each other for public entertainment meant to bolster rulers’ popularity and quell potential unrest.
“This is a classic strategy," Fontaine said. “In ancient Rome, the phrase would be, ‘bread and circuses.’”
Trump says the UFC is paying for the event and while its full costs haven't been divulged, the National Park Service said in a court filing that $60-plus million and tens of thousands of hours of labor went into it, while seven government agencies have “allocated significant resources and manpower.”
UFC also announced that it was adding as an official partner for the event World Liberty Financial to create a special $250,000 athlete bonus pool for Sunday night’s winners. The cryptocurrency company is co-owned by the Trump family, founded with the president’s special diplomatic envoy Steve Witkoff and run by his son, Zach.
The arrangement further blurs lines between the Trump family's financial interests and the events and construction projects the president has prioritized and used government resources to pull off.
Still, Fontaine said that when it comes to a personal flair for pageantry, the president’s second-term tendency to lean into “hardcore masculinity and brute fighting” is marrying the UFC's blood sport with Trump's trademark humor and enduring sense of showmanship.
“President Trump has a once-in-a-generation talent for this stuff,” he said.
Associated Press writer Fatima Hussein contributed to this report.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg attends UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn of the White House, Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Bo Nickal, top, fights against Kyle Daukaus during their middleweight bout at UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn of the White House, Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Diego Lopes celebrates during a featherweight bout against Steve Garcia during UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn of the White House, Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
The arena is seen on the South Lawn of the White House from the Washington Monument ahead of the UFC Freedom 250 fight on Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Washington. (Win McNamee/Pool Photo via AP)
President Donald Trump and Dana White, UFC president and CEO, arrive for UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn of the White House, Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Light shine at the UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn of the White House, Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
People are seen on the roof of the White House prior to the UFC Freedom 250 fights taking place on the South Lawn in Washington, Sunday, June 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)
Army soldiers hold a grappling demonstration during the UFC Freedom 250 Fan Fest on The Ellipse ahead of the UFC Freedom 250 fight on the South Lawn of the White House on Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Washington. (Kevin Dietsch/Pool Photo via AP)
The arena is seen on the South Lawn of the White House from the Washington Monument ahead of the UFC Freedom 250 fight on Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Washington. (Win McNamee/Pool Photo via AP)
Diego Lopes participates in the ceremonial UFC Freedom 250 weigh-ins on the Ellipse, Saturday, June 13, 2026, in Washington, ahead of Sunday's fight on the South Lawn of the White House. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
President Donald Trump is pictured during an event where he signs a proclamation about the fishing industry, in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, June 11, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Security at the White House looks through a pair of binoculars during the UFC Fan Fest on the White House Ellipse ahead of Sunday's fight on the South Lawn, Saturday, June 13, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert)
UFC fighter Alex Pereira attends a UFC news conference at the Lincoln Memorial, ahead of Sunday's fight on the South Lawn of the White House, Friday, June 12, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert)
Kai Trump, left, and UFC President and CEO Dana White looks on before a Motorsports athlete and stunt performer does a motorcycle jump ahead of the UFC Freedom 250 fights on the South Lawn of the White House, Saturday, June 13, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool)
Motorsports athletes and stunt performers do a motorcycle jump ahead of the UFC Freedom 250 fights on the South Lawn of the White House, Saturday, June 13, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool)
A motor sports athlete and stunt performer does a motorcycle jump ahead of the UFC Freedom 250 fights on the South Lawn of the White House, Saturday, June 13, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)
The arena for the UFC Freedom 250 fights on the South Lawn of the White House is photographed Thursday, June 11, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
