Raza puts Zimbabwe on top
SILVERSTONE SILVERSTONE, United Kingdom Kingdom: Lewis Hamilto Hamilton swept to his fourt fourth consecutive victory at th the British Grand Prix on Sunda Sunday to move within a single point ofo world championship leader Sebastia Sebastian Vettel. In a dramatic race packed withwit incident, Vettel suffffffffffffffered suffered a lat late puncture and fififififinished finished seventh fo for Ferrari after aftftftftftftftftftftftftftfter his team- team-matemate Kim Kimi Raikkonen also pitted with a simila similar problem in the closing stages. Hamilton’s victory, a recordrecord equalling fifth fifififififififtftftftftfth in his home eventeven and the 57th of his career, rebooted his title challenge as he came home ahead of team-mate Valtteri Bottas, who started ninth, in a dominant Mercedes one-two finish.
“It’s a feeling I just can’t describe really,” said a delighted Hamilton. “Look at this crowd. Thank you to everyone who turned up. God bless you! It was incredible — I was inspired by all the kids who came.”
Raikkonen was third for Ferrari, after the Italian team had made a strategic gamble with their tyres, ahead of Max Verstappen and his Red Bull team-mate Daniel Ricciardo, who had started 19th on the grid.
Nico Hulkenberg finished sixth for Renault ahead of Vettel, Esteban Ocon and his Force India team-mate Sergio Perez and Felipe Massa, who came home 10th for Williams.
Bottas said: “I am really happy for this today. It was not easy, with so many cars to get through, but the team did a perfect strategy. I just kept my head down and we managed it.”
Raikkonen was disappointed with his misfortune, but Vettel said he did not blame the team. “It’s just one of those things,” said the German. Hamilton made a perfect getaway under heavy grey skies while Vettel had flames leaping from his Ferrari’s COLOMBO: Sikandar Raza hit a gritty 97 not out to help Zimbabwe recover from a top-order collapse and stretch their second innings lead over Sri Lanka to 262 in the one-off Test on Sunday.
The visitors were 252 for six at stumps on day three, with Raza and Malcolm Waller (57) putting on an unbeaten 107-run stand for the seventh-wicket at Colombo’s R Premadasa Stadium.
Raza lifted Zimbabwe from a precarious 23-4, followed by 59-5, after Sri Lankan left-arm spinner Rangana Herath rattled the visitors’ batting with four early wickets.
Herath, who got three wickets before the lunch break, bowled Sean Williams for 22 in the second session as Zimbabwe teetered dangerously close brake drum, a distraction that did nothing to stop Verstappen passing him for third on the opening lap.
The two Toro Rosso cars clashed at Chapel where Carlos Sainz spun off into retirement, having collided with Daniil Kvyat’s car. The Spaniard also made contact with Kevin Magnussen’s Haas. After an investigation, the stewards gave Kvyat a drive-through penalty.
BRITISH GP RESULTS 1. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) 1hr 21min 27.430sec, 2. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Mercedes) at 14.063sec, 3. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN/Ferrari) 36.570, 4. Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull) 52.125, 5. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/Red Bull) 1:05.955, 6. Nico Hulkenberg (GER/Renault) 1:08.109, 7. Sebastian Vettel (GER/Ferrari) 1:33.989, 8. Esteban Ocon to losing their 10-run advantage.
It was then that Raza put together 86 runs with Peter Moor (40) for the sixth wicket to turn the tables on Sri Lanka. Moor fell to paceman Lahiru Kumara. Raza, who registered his fifth Test fifty, used the sweep shot to great effect against the spinners as he found (FRA/Force India) 1 lap, 9. Sergio Perez (MEX/Force India) 1 lap, 10. Felipe Massa (BRA/Williams) 1 lap, 11. Stoffel Vandoorne (BEL/McLaren) 1 lap, 12. Kevin Magnussen (DEN/Haas) 1 lap, 13. Romain Grosjean (FRA/Haas) 1 lap, 14. Marcus Ericsson (SWE/Sauber) 1 lap, 15. Daniil Kvyat (RUS/Toro Rosso) 1 lap, 16. Lance Stroll (CAN/Williams) 1 lap, 17. Pascal Wehrlein (GER/Sauber) 1 lap World championship standings Drivers: 1. Sebastian Vettel (GER) 177 pts, 2. Lewis Hamilton (GBR) 176, 3. Valtteri Bottas (FIN) 154, 4. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) 117, 5. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) 98, 6. Max Verstappen (NED) 57, 7. Sergio Perez (MEX) 52, 8. Esteban Ocon (FRA) 43, 9. Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP) 29, 10. Nico Hulkenberg (GER) 26, 11. Felipe Massa (BRA) 23, 12. Lance Stroll (CAN) 18, 13. Romain Grosjean (FRA) 18, 14. Kevin Magnussen (DEN) 11, 15. Pascal Wehrlein (GER) 5, 16. Daniil Kvyat (RUS) 4, 17. Fernando Alonso (ESP) 2 Constructors: 1. Mercedes 330 pts, 2. Ferrari 275, 3. Red Bull 174, 4. Force India 95, 5. Williams 41, 6. Toro Rosso 33, 7. Haas 29, 8. Renault 26, 9. Sauber 5, 10. McLaren 2 another partner in Waller to thwart the Sri Lankan bowling attack.
“The dressing room was very quiet after the lunch break as we were 23-4. Then we said to ourselves, let’s fight back and show that we mean business,” Waller told reporters.