The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Hamilton vows to land knockout blow to Ferrari in race for F1 championship
FORMULA ONE: Mercedes driver believes win in Canada could be pivotal for season
Lewis Hamilton has vowed to deliver a Floyd Mayweather-inspired knockout blow to Ferrari’s championship credentials after hauling himself back into the title race with victory in Canada.
Hamilton provided a masterclass in Montreal, his sixth win in 10 appearances at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, to take 13 points out of Sebastian Vettel’s championship lead.
The 32-year-old Englishman and his rival Vettel have now won three races apiece in a title battle which continues to swing from one direction to the other.
But Hamilton, who laid to rest the demons of his miserable display in Monaco by claiming yet another career hat-trick – that of pole position, a lights-to-flag victory and the fastest lap – while leading Valtteri Bottas home for Mercedes’ first one-two finish of the campaign, believes his win here could prove to be pivotal in his quest for a fourth title.
“We learned a lot from Monaco, and we have learned a lot from this weekend, too,” said Hamilton, who is now 12 points shy of Vettel in the championship.
“If we apply the same diligence that we did in the past two weeks after every single race – even when we win – I am pretty sure we can continue to fight and not make the rollercoaster ride so up and down.”
Hamilton said: “Ferrari have done a fantastic job all year and I just think this performance was Mercedes at its best.
“It was our first one-two finish of the year and, in terms of ultimate points, it was the most powerful weekend we have had and maximised.
“If Ferrari do that to us, it is a blow, it is like a right hook.
“But the punches will continue throughout the year, and we just hope at the end of it we will be like Mayweather,” he added.
Vettel’s recovery to fourth, after damage in a first-corner incident, marked the first time the German failed to finish in the top two this season.