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Montreal may have overtaken the glamorous streets of Monaco as Lewis Hamilton’s special race after the McLaren driver celebrated a hat-trick of Canadian Grand Prix victories on Sunday.
Hamilton is now only the third Formula One driver to win in Canada three-times, joining seven-time winner Michael Schumacher and Brazilian Nelson Piquet. He became a magnificent seventh winner in seven Formula One races this season to seize the championship lead.
"I always say Monaco is real special for the amount of people there but I think that perhaps this place is more special for me," added the Monaco resident, now the winner of 18 grands prix. "What a great feeling, this is where I won my first grand prix and I knew it would be a tough, tough race but I loved every single minute of it.î"
His team principal Martin Whitmarsh could not say the same, spending the closing laps worrying about the decision to call Hamilton in for a second stop in the mistaken belief that those ahead would also have to pit. ìThere were times in that race where you wondered have we got it right, are their tyres going to last? All our analysis told us we were doing the right thing but until it unfolds you are never quite sure,î he said.
"Lewis did a fantastic job and the team did a great job to make those calls."
The big threat proved to be Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, championship leader going into the race, who hounded Hamilton and then led until losing pace late in the race due to worn tyres and finishing fifth.
If Hamilton needed any more reason to fan his love affair with Montreal, he needed only to glance at the drivers’ standings where his name now appears top of the table with 88 points just ahead of Alonso with 86 and Red Bull’s reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel on 85.
The Briton had to mount a ferocious charge after his second pit stop, banging in a series of fastest laps to reel in Vettel and Alonso.
Frenchman Romain Grosjean was second in a Lotus, a career best, with Mexican Sergio Perez third in a Sauber after overtaking Alonso.
Vettel had started from pole, just like last year, and led the early part of the 70-lap race but lost pace over the final laps to finish fourth in a grand prix that his Red Bull team have yet to win. The German was fortunate to get to the chequered flag after skimming the wall three laps from the end.
