Thirty years apart, one Ferrari dream: Lewis Hamilton follows Michael Schumacher’s path. The red thread connecting Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher.

Spanish Grand Prix, Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The pre-race prediction seemed straightforward: Adrian Newey’s Williams FW18 was simply too strong. The only real uncertainty was which Williams driver would come out on top between Jacques Villeneuve and Damon Hill. The Briton had secured pole position by more than four tenths of a second over his Canadian teammate, while nearly a full second behind them sat the first Ferrari, with Michael Schumacher placing the Scuderia on the second row of the grid.

Then came Sunday, the day everything changed. Dark clouds gathered over Barcelona, heavy rain drenched the circuit and temperatures dropped dramatically. When the race began, Hill made a poor start and Schumacher did little better, falling back to seventh place. But corner after corner, lap after lap, and aided by the retirements of Eddie Irvine and Hill himself, the Ferrari steadily fought its way forward. By lap seven, the red car was already leading the race.

The track was now completely soaked and the rain continued to pour. Drivers struggled simply to keep their cars on the asphalt, but Schumacher seemed to be competing in a different category altogether. Calm, precise and incredibly fast, the German delivered a masterclass in wet-weather driving. He was around two seconds per lap quicker than the rest of the field and eventually lapped every driver except Jean Alesi and Jacques Villeneuve, who joined him on the podium after the first of what would become 72 victories in Ferrari colours.

It was June 2, 1996. Yet for Ferrari supporters, that day has rarely felt as close as it does now.

Exactly 30 years later, on the same circuit, another driver claimed his first victory for Ferrari. A driver who shares with Michael Schumacher the record of seven Formula 1 world championships.

It was finally a race won in true Lewis Hamilton fashion. The pace was relentless, worthy of the famous “Hammer Time” calls he heard from Bono over 12 seasons. Did the Virtual Safety Car help the Ferrari team? Undoubtedly, but only to a certain extent, much to the frustration of Toto Wolff and the Mercedes camp.

Because when Lewis Hamilton senses an opportunity to win, he rarely makes mistakes. Just like the other driver who became a Ferrari legend with the Prancing Horse on his chest. Schumacher and Hamilton are connected by a red thread that runs through Ferrari’s history, and after Barcelona, that bond feels stronger than ever.