Martin Brundle answers crucial question hanging over Lewis Hamilton's Barcelona F1 victory

Formula 1 commentator Martin Brundle has given his verdict on whether Lewis Hamilton would have taken his surprise win at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix without the intervention of the virtual safety car.

Hamilton has rolled back the years in recent weeks, casting aside suggestions that his best days in the championship are behind him, with back-to-back podiums in Canada and Monaco, and a first victory of his Ferrari career in Spain.

The seven-time champion was visibly emotional on the podium as the British and Italian anthems played, but it was impossible to ignore the lingering question of whether he would have made it to the front without the VSC period. 

A bold three-stop plan from Ferrari had put Hamilton at odds with the two-stopping Mercedes drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, with a combination of consistently fresher rubber and the pure cornering speed of the SF-26 keeping him in the mix, even with the additional stop.

"Hamilton had made his second stop as early as Lap 27 and was flying along on the more durable tyre compounds," wrote Brundle in his Sky Sports F1 column. 

"He was definitely an increasing threat to the two Mercs just as a 'Virtual Safety Car' was eventually deployed on Lap 40 to recover Fernando Alonso's stricken Aston Martin.

"It was perfect for Hamilton and Ferrari. While all your rivals are at heavily reduced speed, a pitstop here costs a net 12 seconds rather than 22 at full racing speeds, meaning Lewis could pit and remain in the lead despite three-stopping.

"The Virtual Safety Car ended conveniently just as Lewis left the pit lane. He could surely win his first Grand Prix for Ferrari, and impressively, he then proceeded to check out up front and won by 19 seconds."

Posing the key question himself, Brundle added: "Would he have won regardless of saving 10 seconds on that third and final stop? It's hard to be certain because he would have needed to overtake Norris and the two Mercedes ordinarily, but my feeling is that he would have won anyway, such was his pace and tyre advantage in the closing stages."