Stopping the 'Hamilton train' will not be easy, says Wolff

BARCELONA, June 15 : Lewis Hamilton is in the Formula One title reckoning and will be hard to stop now that he is a grand prix winner with Ferrari, according to his former Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff.

Sunday's Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix saw the seven-time world champion take a first win for Ferrari since joining in January last year and left him second overall and 41 points behind Mercedes' championship leader Kimi Antonelli.

"I'd rather not fight with him for a title because I know what he's capable of. If he smells blood, he goes," Austrian Wolff told reporters when asked about the great who won six of his titles with Mercedes.

"I've seen it many years where suddenly the Lewis Hamilton train started to go and then it's very difficult to stop it."

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When Hamilton first arrived at Maranello, the Ferrari fans were abuzz with the possibility of him taking his record eighth title in red overalls. Some of that excitement fizzled as the results disappointed, but it is building up steam again now.

Hamilton has had three successive podiums - two seconds and now a first - and is clearly much happier in and out of the car.   

His first win in nearly two years has vindicated the Briton's move, with Hamilton now a race winner for three of the sport's greatest teams - McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari - since his debut campaign in 2007.

The Briton struggled last season, openly describing himself as "useless" and even telling Ferrari to find someone else.

He had wondered if he still had what it takes and whether he would win again, but Sunday was all the proof he needed.

This season has been very different, with Hamilton galvanised by new rules and a willingness at Ferrari to make changes he