MONTREAL: Lewis Hamilton won the Canadian Grand Prix for the sixth time yesterday, and the third year in a row, to cut Sebastian Vettel’s overall lead to 12 points and put Formula One champions Mercedes back on top of the podium.
The Briton led from start to finish, after qualifying on pole at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve for the sixth time, to chalk up his 56th career grand prix victory and third of the season.
Hamilton’s Finnish team mate Valtteri Bottas sealed a Mercedes one-two, finishing 19.7 seconds behind Hamilton, with Australian Daniel Ricciardo third for Red Bull for the third race in a row.
Ferrari’s Vettel, winner of three of the previous six races, finished fourth after losing places at the start and then dropping further down the field when he had to pit to replace a damaged front wing.
After watching Ferrari sweep to a one-two finish two weeks ago in Monaco, Mercedes hit back with a dominating display to grab the overall lead in the constructors standings. Mercedes now have 222 points, ahead of Ferrari’s 214.
“I had my first pole here, I had my first win here 10 years ago and to repeat it this weekend is incredibly special,” said Hamilton.
“I really have to thank my team for making this possible. The guys back at the factory have worked so hard to really fix what we had in the last race, bring it here and really give it to the Ferraris. I’m over the moon.”
The Briton might have cut Vettel’s lead further if not for an inspired charge by the German who fought his way to fourth after a damaged front wing forced a pitstop and dropped him to the back of the field early on.
Ricciardo’s third-place finish gave Red Bull something to cheer after young Dutchman Max Verstappen had his race come to a premature end with mechanical problems while running second and challenging Hamilton for the lead.
Force India enjoyed a great weekend in Canada with Mexican Sergio Perez taking fifth ahead of French team mate Esteban Ocon, who was not happy at the finish. Canadian teenage rookie Lance Stroll answered some of his critics by scoring his first points in Formula One for Williams, crossing the line in ninth place to the cheers of a sell-out home crowd.
But there was yet more disappointment for Fernando Alonso and McLaren when the double world champion’s engine gave up yet again two laps from the finish, leaving the struggling outfit still the only team on the grid to yet score a point.