SportHamilton wins controversial Canadian Grand Prix after Vettel penalty

© Getty Images Lewis Hamilton at the Canadian Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton won a controversial Canadian Grand Prix to extend his lead in the world championship as a five-second time penalty denied Sebastian Vettel a first Formula One win of the season.

The decisive moment came on lap 48 when Vettel, who was leading the race and seemingly on course for victory having started on pole, ran wide at turn four and re-joined the track via the grass, only just avoiding pushing Hamilton into the wall.

Race stewards ruled against Vettel and handed him a time penalty for an unsafe re-entry, meaning the Mercedes driver just had to stay fewer than five seconds behind, which he duly did to claim victory despite being the second man across the line.

Hamilton inherits Canadian GP win from penalised Vettel

Lewis Hamilton inherited victory at the Canadian Grand Prix after Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, who finished first on track, was handed a five-second time penalty for unsafely rejoining the circuit. Vettel started from pole and retained the lead throughout the opening stint. Mercedes’ Hamilton was close behind in second. With the status quo maintained through the pitstop phase, Hamilton started to apply pressure to Vettel once the two fitted the harder medium tyres. On lap 46 of 70, Vettel lost control of his car with a snap of oversteer on the entry to Turn 3.

Lewis Hamilton reclaimed the world championship lead with a dominant victory in the French Grand Prix . The Mercedes driver led from start to finish Vettel made life difficult for himself with a collision at the first corner with Hamilton 's team-mate Valtteri Bottas. The German fought back through the field

A dominant Lewis Hamilton took advantage of Sebastian Vettel 's opening-lap crash with Valtteri Bottas to move back to the summit of the world championship. Created with Sketch. Hamilton wins French Grand Prix after Vettel penalty . 1/4. Lewis Hamilton took the chequered flag and the championship

© Getty Lewis Hamilton

"They are stealing the race from us," protested Vettel on team radio after being informed of the decision. "I had nowhere to go, I didn't see him. You go to the grass and you come back, where the hell are you supposed to go?"

Vetttel's Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc finished third as he closely followed the drama at the front, but a double podium will only be slim consolation to Ferrari as Mercedes made it seven straight wins in 2019.

BREAKING: Lewis Hamilton wins in Montreal!

Sebastian Vettel crosses the line first but an earlier 5-second penalty sees him drop to second with his Ferrari team mate Charles Leclerc taking the final podium place #CanadianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/VY018Tfzya

— Formula 1 (@F1) June 9, 2019

In a race of damage limitation, Valtteri Bottas was fourth having dropped to seventh on the first lap, eventually overcoming the Renaults of Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Hulkenberg, who were sixth and seventh.

Vettel: Penalty decision damaging F1 popularity

Sebastian Vettel says the steward’s decision to hand him a five-second time penalty for impeding Lewis Hamilton in the Canadian Grand Prix is risking killing the popularity of Formula 1. The German suffered a sudden snap of oversteer at the first chicane while leading on Lap 48, causing him to momentarily lose control of the car and cut the corner. The race stewards concluded after a review of the incident that Vettel had re-joined the circuit in front of Hamilton at Turn 4 in a dangerous manner, forcing the Briton off the track in avoidance.

Lewis Hamilton won the Singapore Grand Prix to extend his lead to 28 points in the drivers’ championship after a first-lap collision forced Sebastian Vettel out of the race.

Sebastian Vettel dominated the Canadian Grand Prix to go one point ahead of Lewis Hamilton in the championship standings after a bizarre end to the race involving model Winnie Harlow.

The Finn also claimed a point for the fastest lap, but the result meant Hamilton – who earlier held off Leclerc to preserve second position on the first corner – increased his advantage over his Mercedes colleague to 29 points.

© Getty Images MONTREAL, QUEBEC - JUNE 09: Sebastian Vettel of Germany and Ferrari prepares to drive on the grid before the F1 Grand Prix of Canada at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 09, 2019 in Montreal, Canada. (Photo by Charles Coates/Getty Images)

Max Verstappen started ninth and his patient game of starting on the hard tyres plus stopping later than the other contenders worked as he improved to end the race fifth, ahead of the Renaults and team-mate Pierre Gasly.

That was still the Dutchman's worst result of the season so far, with Gasly eighth in the other Red Bull followed by Lance Stroll – in his home grand prix – and Daniil Kvyat in the final points positions.

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