U.K.’s Hamilton wins Spanish Grand Prix, Canada’s Stroll 16th

Thanks to superior strategy and some help from his teammate, Lewis Hamilton tightened the early title race in Formula One after beating Sebastian Vettel to win the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday.

Hamilton saw his advantage of a pole position evaporate when Vettel beat him to the first corner, but Mercedes’s decision to have Hamilton finish the race on faster tires allowed the British driver to overtake Vettel’s Ferrari with more than 20 laps left.

Hamilton would have had to leave his challenge until late if not for some assistance from teammate Valtteri Bottas, who held up Vettel before the Finn’s Mercedes broke down in a puff of smoke.

“This was the rawest fight I have felt in a long time. This is what the sport is meant to be, this is why I race — to have battles with him for the championship,” Hamilton said. “I just really have to congratulate and thank my team. They did a wonderful job with the strategy and the pit stops.”

Hamilton’s second win in five races this season cut Vettel’s lead from 13 points to six heading into the Monaco GP. It was the threetime world champion’s 55th career victory and his second at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya after first winning here in 2014.

Daniel Ricciardo brought his Red Bull across in a distant third place to complete the podium, his best result of the season.

Vettel had a great surge from second on the grid, going past Hamilton to the first right-hand turn and staying in front just as his Ferrari partner’s race ended.

Mont Tremblant’s Lance Stroll started in 18th position and finished 16th, last among the cars that completed the race. However Stroll can console himself for having

This is what the sport is meant to be, this is why I race — to have battles with him for the championship.

completed a second straight race. Stroll was 11th at the Grand Prix of Russia two weeks ago.

After taking a pit stop on Lap 13, Stroll returned in 15th place, where he remained until his second pit stop to change tires. He briefly surged to 12 after Bottas’s exit but was eventually overtaken by Sauber driver Marcus Ericsson, Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa and Jolyon Palmer.

The 18-year-old Stroll will have to wait for at least one more race before registering his first career points in F1. The Grand Prix of Monaco will be held in two weeks.

MARK THOMPSON/GETTY IMAGES Mont Tremblant’s Lance Stroll, above, finished in 16th place at the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix at Circuit de Catalunya on Sunday in Montmelo, Spain. Britain’s Lewis Hamilton won.