By Niall Clarke
- Hamilton wins Canadian Grand Prix, Rosberg second
- Extends championship lead to 17 points
- Button fails to finish race
Lewis Hamilton claimed a narrow victory in the Canadian Grand Prix, and extended his championship lead over team mate Nico Rosberg to 17 points.
Hamilton started his race weekend in the best possible way, claiming Pole position on Saturday ahead of team-mate Nico Rosberg.
The gap between the Mercedes in the third session was .309 seconds, and that closeness continued the following day.
The Brit was shadowed by Rosberg throughout the race, with the German managing to keep within two seconds of Hamilton for most of the 70 laps.
Despite the good start, Hamilton could never create a significant gap between himself and Rosberg, and after the pair made their first and only pit stops, Rosberg edged closer.
However, the German could not quite come close enough to mount an attack on the Brit, who safely managed his car to the chequered flag and claim his fourth win in Canada.
Hamilton’s fourth win on the Gilles Villeneuve circuit puts him a clear second in the all-time race wins here, with Michael Schumacher’s seven triumph’s being the record.
Meanwhile, Jenson Button’s race weekend went from bad to worse. After failing to even participate in qualifying on Saturday, the McLaren driver was given a drive through penalty due using more than the permitted four engine components per season.
Button could never escape the back of the grid, and eventually was forced to retire on lap 57.
The Austrian Grand Prix will take place between 19-21 June.