Lewis Hamilton Retakes Control of the F1 Season with Canadian Grand Prix Victory

MONTREAL — Lewis Hamilton had a question when he arrived for his post-qualifying media session at the Canadian Grand Prix. After taking a quick glance at the television in the Mercedes hospitality unit, where Nico Rosberg and others were watching the England-Russia Euro 2016 match, which was in its 54th scoreless minute, he asked, "How is it possible that England's not friggin' scored yet?"

A similar question was being asked in Formula One circles for the first five rounds of the 2016 season, where, for a variety of reasons, Hamilton was unable to replicate his dominance from the previous two years.

Unlike England, which finally did break through and score, only to concede a tying goal a short time later, Hamilton followed up his maiden 2016 victory in Monaco with an emphatic win Sunday at a cold and windy Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Hamilton may still be behind his team-mate, Rosberg, in the drivers' standings, but he has retaken control of a season that was in danger of slipping away from him.

The defending champion demonstrated a renewed confidence in his car in an aggressive first-corner move that Rosberg could not answer. "There's never been a doubt this year in terms of my speed, in terms of what I can do in the car," he said. He just needed the car to show it.

The Merc drivers collided two races ago, in Spain, ending both their races on the first lap, and there was more drama in Canada, where they started first and second on the grid. Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel jumped both Silver Arrows with a stunning start (Ferrari team principal Maurizio Arrivabene said it was one of the greatest he had ever seen) before Hamilton and Rosberg touched wheels at Turn 1, sending the latter across the grass and, ultimately, down to 10th place.

An unhappy-looking Rosberg skipped his scheduled post-race media session, but he received no sympathy from Mercedes non-executive chairman Niki Lauda. "It was a normal incident in the first corner," said the three-time world champion. "Nobody's fault; this is clear."

Mark Thompson/Getty Images

Lauda said he had a simple message for Rosberg, as well, telling him, "These things can happen and it was as it was."

Hamilton said he was on the racing line and suffered understeer as Rosberg tried to pass him on the outside. "Sometimes you make it 'round the outside and sometimes you don't," he said.

"It was a hard manoeuvre," acknowledged Mercedes executive director Toto Wolff, who was reluctant to go into great detail. "Lewis said that he had an understeer. That's what I would say."

"We touched and I was off and that's it," said Rosberg, per Sky Sports' Pete Gill. "It didn't work out, I was very pissed off in that moment but that's racing in the end and it's my job to make sure I'm in front after a battle like that next time."

Rosberg's frustration is understandable, particularly as the 43-point lead he enjoyed after the Russian Grand Prix is now down to nine. Hamilton's move was fair, though, defending his position in the inevitable first-corner jumble.

Still, Hamilton conceded, "The start was unfortunate. ... I know how hard everyone in the factory works for us to finish one-two, so, ultimately, that is the goal and it doesn't feel great when we don't finish one-two."

With Rosberg falling down the field, Hamilton set off in pursuit of Vettel. The Ferrari driver dove into the pits when a virtual safety car was deployed on Lap 11 of 70, allowing the marshals to clear Jenson Button's stricken McLaren.

Mercedes elected to keep Hamilton out and switch from a two-stop to a one-stop strategy, while Vettel's early stop meant he would need to pit again.

Afterwards, Hamilton was grateful for the team's decision, although he admitted to some apprehension during the race. "They did a great job in choosing the strategy today and when they said it, Plan B, I was thinking, 'I don't know if I'm going to be able to make these tyres last for Plan B,'" he said.

Asked if the team knew Hamilton could make it to the end of the race on just one stop, Lauda said, "We knew that, so we did the right decision. Lewis drove a fantastic race and he won the race himself."

Hamilton made his lone pit stop on Lap 24, temporarily handing the lead back to Vettel until the German's second stop, on Lap 37. From there, it was a race to the finish.

As he did in Monaco, Hamilton managed his tyres masterfully and kept Vettel at bay, never allowing the Ferrari driver to get within four seconds of his car. To illustrate Hamilton's skill at keeping the tyres alive, he set his fastest lap of the race on Lap 68. His soft-compound Pirellis were 44 laps old at the time.

This is the Hamilton we saw last year: confident, adaptable and dominant.

Rosberg, meanwhile, recovered to finish fifth, but he has now gone three races without a win after taking seven in a row, dating back to the end of 2015.

Mercedes' poor starts are still a worry, and both Hamilton and Wolff seemed at a loss to explain why they continue to happen. Overall, though, Mercedes still have the best car, even if Ferrari and Red Bull are slowly closing the gap.

In Monaco, Red Bull's unforced error handed victory to Hamilton. In Canada, though, Mercedes outsmarted Ferrari and Hamilton outdrove Vettel.

People might be wondering what is wrong (this time) with England's football team, but there are no longer any such worries about Hamilton. If there was any doubt before, he is now the definite favourite to add to his three world championships, even if there are still 14 races to go.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand.

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