Jeremy Clarkson couldn’t resist a cheeky jab at Lewis Hamilton on Sunday after the 41-year-old clinched a landmark win at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.
The result was a big moment for Hamilton, marking his first victory since joining Ferrari and ending a winless run that had stretched close to two years.
It was also Ferrari’s first Grand Prix win since Carlos Sainz’s success in Mexico in 2024, while Hamilton became the oldest Formula 1 race winner since Jack Brabham in 1970.
Championship leader Kimi Antonelli saw his strong run end in disappointment after an engine failure forced him out with just four laps left. He had only moments earlier passed George Russell for second place.
Russell went on to finish second, with McLaren’s Lando Norris completing the podium, giving the race an all-British top three for the first time since 1968.
Clarkson, a well-known F1 fan, reacted on social media soon after the race, mixing praise for the British podium with a dig at Hamilton.
“Good to see three Brits on the podium in Barcelona,” he wrote on X, “just a shame the winner was backed by Italian beer.”
The comment was a nod to Hamilton’s sponsorship with Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0%. Clarkson, who owns the Hawkstone beer brand, also floated the idea of one day seeing his own label in Formula 1.
“One day Hawkstone should be big enough to sponsor an F1 team. But which one?” he added.
The remark sparked plenty of reactions online, with fans suggesting everything from Alpine to Williams, while others joked he should simply build his own team.
Hamilton, meanwhile, delivered an emotional message over team radio after the win, thanking his crew at Ferrari.
“Grazie a tutti, Maranello,” he said, praising the team for helping him reach a long-held dream and thanking those supporting him back at base.
Speaking after the race, he credited team boss Fred Vasseur and said the victory felt like the result of never giving up through a difficult period.
He also thanked fans, saying he had “the best support a sportsman could ask for.”
Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri finished just outside the British podium in fourth and fifth place.
