LEWIS HAMILTON HAS described his triumph at the Canadian Grand Prix as one the ‘best races’ he has had for a long time.
The McLaren driver won for the third time in Montreal yesterday including his maiden formula one win in 2007. In doing so, Hamilton took the lead in the drivers’ championship from Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso.
The Briton drove a series of fastest laps to see off Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel and Alonso and head home Frenchman Romain Grosjean, who was second in his Lotus and Mexican Sergio Perez.
“What a great feeling, this is where I won my first Grand Prix and I knew today would be a tough, tough race but I loved every single minute of it,” Hamilton said.
“It’s been five years since I won here the first time but it feels just as good. It feels great to be on the top step, we never take it for granted. This for me feels like one of the very best races I have had for a long time.”
Hamilton took advantage of his fresh tyres to become the seventh race winner this season with a 2.5 second gap from Grosjean.
“I had so much traction with fresh tyres. I wasn’t able to do it a one-stop. I think I would have fallen farther back, as they did. I think a two-stop was just right.”
Vettel had started from pole, and led the early stages of the 70-lap race before falling away, while prodigious talent Perez mounted a stunning charge to finish on the podium after starting at 15th on the grid.
“I think this mix-up is normal. I think this is going to be normal for this season,” Hamilton said of this season’s unpredictable results. I think it’s great for Formula One. It’s great for fans today.”
Conversely, Hamilton’s team-mate Jenson Button was left ‘lost and confused’ after his worst race ‘for many, many years’ saw him finish a lapped 16th to sit 43 points off the pace in the drivers’ standings.
“I’m confused and very lost,” Button said. ”I don’t have an answer. I just didn’t have any pace and couldn’t look after the tyres. I’m not two seconds slower than Lewis – I don’t know what’s going on.
“That’s probably my worst race for many, many years. We have to improve it and sort it out sooner rather than later.”
