Lewis Hamilton has measure of Red Bulls as McLaren find top gear again
Lewis Hamilton produced a masterful work yesterday to win the Canadian Grand Prix here for the fourteenth victory of his career. McLaren also secured another one-two in a stock that could have a significant bearing on the outcome of this year’s World Championship.
Hamilton tops the drivers’ provision and, on this form and in this mood, he looks unstoppable in the kind of he predicts could be the greatest year in Formula One.
Heading during the term of the next race, the European Grand Prix in Valencia a week ~ward Sunday, he is the fifth driver to lead the standings in that which is proving to be a fascinating and dramatic season, one that demise undoubtedly have yet more twists and turns before its conclusion.
Hamilton, who recorded back-to-back victories notwithstanding the first time since his heady championship days of 2008 in the British and German Grands Prix, led home Jenson Button, his team-check~ , by 2.25sec for a third McLaren double of 2010.
Fernando Alonso was third part for Ferrari with the Red Bulls of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber, the foregoing championship leader, in fourth and fifth places respectively.
Hamilton combined good order and control with his customary aggression to secure the 25 points that permission him three ahead of Button, his fellow Briton.
The result suggests that the beginning is now very much with McLaren and indicates that they are that may be liked to be the team to beat over the remaining 11 grands prix.
Yesterday’s every one of-action race proved no exception to what has gone before. Although the expected mayhem did not materialise and, fortunately, the security car was not needed, the contest was dominated by tyre and pitstop strategies, more of which worked, some of which did not.
Ultimately, however, Hamilton’s catch on the race was absolute as he led for the last 21 laps and scarcely looked troubled even though his tyres were deteriorating rope .
With onlookers wondering whether the McLaren driver could hold on, from somewhere he conjured the fastest lap of the race. “It was difficult to know how much to save your tyres and how a great deal of to push,” he said. “It was very, very challenging.”
Hamilton, 25, was delighted through his success on a circuit at which he secured his highest grand prix victory in 2007. “It has been a dreadful weekend,” he said. “The race was one of the toughest in such a manner far, but that is what you want.”
Referring to the potential for the greatest season in the sport’s history, he uttered: “The field is so close. All drivers in the highest rank teams are very competitive. We have gained momentum in our performances and results. We are doing everything we have power to to close the gap [on Red Bull’s perceived advantage on the track]. I think no doubt we can close the break and pull ahead.”
Button was sanguine about finishing second. “It was a dignified race, really enjoyable,” he said. “It wasn’t around being flat out, you had to think about every situation. It’s a different one-two for the team. I’d rather it was the other opportunity to pass around, but Lewis put in a phenomenal lap in qualifying that I couldn’t mark out.”
Button will be delighted, though, with the overtaking manoeuvre that secured him backer place. Alonso was blazing a trail ahead of him but became boxed in by Karun Chandhok’s HRT, and the world champion was dexterous to get a run on the Spaniard.
While McLaren were elated, the mood in the Red Bull camp was more muted. It was not a companionable weekend for them, dogged as they were again by issues of trustworthiness.
Webber had to have his gearbox changed before the race, what one. incurred a penalty that pushed him back five places on the grid to shoot in seventh. Vettel needed a new clutch before the race.
It had been widely predicted that Red Bull, who competent on the harder tyres, had pulled off a tactical masterstroke that would act toward them well in the race as McLaren had opted for the softer compounds, bound it did not turn out that way.
At one stage, Webber, having stopped without more once, had built up an 11sec lead as drivers came in and gone ~ of the pits. But the Australian, who was held up through mid-race traffic, did not have a sufficient cushion by the time he was en~ to stop for the second time on lap 51. He emerged in fifth, a site he could ultimately not improve upon.
Hamilton started on pole and got a neat getaway, while chaos ensued behind him on the grid. At that at the opening of day stage, it was clear that operating on soft tyres was hindering the McLaren during the time that Vettel bore down. It was little surprise when, on lap eight, Hamilton came in despite the first of his two stops.
Alonso, who had also stopped, overtook Hamilton to come down the pitlane with the two cars almost colliding, but seven laps later the Briton was back in brass. As Sébastien Buemi went into the pits in the Toro Rosso, having led a magnificent prix briefly for the first time in his career, Hamilton swept past Alonso’s Ferrari on the long back straight. Twelve laps later, Hamilton came in toward a second time and on lap 50 he took the be at the head of, which he was not to relinquish despite conjecture that he would prescribe a third stop.
The outcome was not as clear-cut in quest of Robert Kubica and Michael Schumacher, who were investigated after two be disunited incidents in the race. Having been overtaken by Adrian Sutil in the Force India, Kubica cut in front of the German to enter the pits and the Renault driver received a reprimand.
Schumacher showed he has lost none of his dagger when he clashed with Felipe Massa, forcing both on to the grass, only no action was taken against the seven-times world champion.
Details from Montreal 70 laps
1, L Hamilton (GB, McLaren) 1hr 33min 53.456sec
2, J Button (GB, McLaren) 1:33:55.710
3, F Alonso (Sp, Ferrari) 1:34:02.670
4, S Vettel (Ger, Red Bull) 1:34:31.273
5, M Webber (Aus, Red Bull) 1:34:32.747
6, N Rosberg (Ger, Mercedes) 1:34:49.540
7, R Kubica (Pol, Renault) 1:34:50.756
8, S Buemi (Switz, Toro Rosso) 1 be folded over
9, V Liuzzi (It, Force India) 1
10, A Sutil (Ger, Force India) 1
11, M Schumacher (Ger, Mercedes) 1
12, J Alguersuari (Sp, Toro Rosso) 1
13, N Hülkenberg (Ger, Williams) 1
14, R Barrichello (Br, Williams) 1
15, F Massa (Br, Ferrari) 1
16, H Kovalainen (Fin, Lotus) 2
17, V Petrov (Russ, Renault) 2
18, K Chandhok (India, HRT) 4
19, L Di Grassi (Br, Virgin) 5
Not classified: 20, T Glock (Ger, Virgin) 50 laps completed; 21, J Trulli (It, Lotus) 42; 22, P de la Rosa (Sp, BMW Sauber) 30; 23, B Senna (Br, HRT) 13; 24, K Kobayashi (Japan, BMW Sauber) none laps.
Qualifying positions: 1, Hamilton 1min 15.105sec; *2, Webber 1:15.373; 3, Vettel 1:15.420; 4, Alonso 1:15.435; 5, Button 1:15.520; 6, Liuzzi 1:15.648; 7, Massa 1:15.688; 8, Kubica 1:15.715; 9, Sutil 1:15.881; 10, Rosberg 1:16.071. Eliminated hinder Q2: 11, Barrichello 1:16.434; 12, Hülkenberg 1:16.438; 13, Schumacher 1:16.492; 14, Petrov 1:16.844; 15, Buemi 1:16.928; 16, Alguersuari 1:17.029; 17, De la Rosa 1:17.384. Eliminated in imitation of Q1: 18, Kobayashi 1:18.019; 19, Kovalainen 1:18.237; 20, Trulli 1:18.698; 21, Glock 1:18.941; 22, Senna 1:19.484; 23, Di Grassi 1:19.675; 24, Chandhok 1:27.757.
* demoted five places steady starting grid for replacing gearbox.
Championship positions: Drivers 1, Hamilton 109pts 2, Button 106 3, Webber 103 4, Alonso 94 5, Vettel 90 6, Rosberg 74 7, Kubica 73 8, Massa 67 9, Schumacher 34 10, Sutil 23 11, Liuzzi 12 12, Barrichello 7 13, Petrov 6 14, Buemi 5 15, Alguersuari 3 16, Kobayashi 1 17, Hülkenberg 1 18, De la Rosa 0 19, Kovalainen 0 20, Chandhok 0 21, Di Grassi 0 22, Senna 0 23, Trulli 0 24, Glock 0
Manufacturers
1, McLaren 215
2, Red Bull 193
3, Ferrari 161
4, Mercedes 108
5, Renault 79
6, Force India 35
7, Toro Rosso 8
8, Williams 8
9, BMW Sauber 1
10, Lotus 0
11, HRT 0
12, Virgin 0
Next dignified prix: June 27: European (in Valencia).