Hamilton’s win in Italy adds to record- breaking season

IMOLA, ITALY — Runaway championship leader Lewis Hamilton over came a sluggish start to win the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on Sunday for a record- extending 93rd Formula One victory.

Hamilton beat Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas by 5.7 seconds and rushed over to celebrate with the team’s engineers and mechanics after the team clinched a record- extending seventh straight constructors’ title.

“Seven times champs, something to tell my grandchildren,” said Hamilton, who also clinched an extra point for the fastest lap. “It is very overwhelming right now.”

Renault driver Daniel Ricciardo placed third for a second podium of an impressive season, while Daniil Kvyat placed a commendable fourth in what is expected to be his last season before being replaced at AlphaTauri.

“It was a bizarre one, I’m not sure what happened to Max but that put us in the fight for a podium,” Ricciardo said. “Cyril ( Abiteboul) will not be getting another tattoo, though.”

Abiteboul is the team principal and, at the start of the season, agreed to have a tattoo done if Ricciardo finished a race on the podium.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was fifth ahead of Racing Point’s Sergio Perez.

Hamilton started from second on the grid and was overtaken by Max Verstappen, who span off track 11 laps from the end after his rear right tire blew, bringing out the safety car and prompting drivers to change to quicker tires.

Hamilton had missed the first pit window and came in after the other drivers, but his lead was sufficient enough and he came back out about two seconds ahead of Bottas.

The safety car remained on the track following another crash as George Russell lost control and slammed into the track barriers. He was unharmed but upset at his own error while behind a safety car, as he sat on the grass and slapped himself several times on the leg in frustration.

This gave Bottas a chance to pressure Hamilton with six laps left, but Hamilton got away cleanly after the restart and clocked fastest laps on his way to another comfortable win.

F1 returned to Imola for the first time since 2006, when Michael Schumacher won at the Enzo and Dino Ferrari circuit situated in Italy’s auto racing heartland and the site of Ayrton Senna’s death from a high- speed crash in 1994.

Hamilton broke Schumacher’s record for wins when he clinched a 92nd victory last weekend.

He is now closing rapidly on matching Schumacher’s record seven F1 titles and leads Bottas by 85 points with four races and a maximum of 104 points left. Hamilton can clinch the title at the Turkish GP on Nov. 15.

It was another dismal day for four- time F1 champion Sebastian Vettel, who lost out on a points finish after a weak 13- second tire stop and finished 12th.

He is 14th in the standings while teammate Leclerc is fifth and 67 points ahead.

LUCA BRUNO/ ASSOCIATED PRESS Mercedes driver LewisHamilton of Britain celebrateswith his teamafter their victory in the Emilia Romagna FormulaOneGrand Prix gave them a record- extending seventh straight constructors’ title. Hamilton also extended his recordwith his 93rd careerwin.