Dominant Hamilton extends lead in France

Champion extends title race lead to 36 points with easy win in Le Castellet

Lewis Hamilton dominated the French Grand Prix to continue his best ever start to a Formula One season yesterday.

Hamilton crossed the line a crushing 18 seconds clear of Valtteri Bottas in the sister Mercedes following an emphatic performance at the Circuit Paul Ricard.

On a perfect afternoon, the five-time world champion extended his lead over Bottas, his closest title challenger, to 36 points.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc ran Bottas close in the final stages, but stayed in third ahead of the Red Bull driver Max Verstappen.

“I have been racing a long time but it never gets old,” said Hamilton.

“I couldn’t do it without the team. We are creating history together and I am so proud to be a part of it. I am happy.

“It wasn’t easy at all. There are always things happening and we are on the edge. This has been the best start to a year so we have got to enjoy it.”

Following his heavy defeat, Bottas said: “It is something I need to have a look at. He [Hamilton] is not unbeatable, I know that, I just need to work hard.”

Sebastian Vettel took the chequered flag a distant fifth, a full minute down on Hamilton.

Vettel may have claimed a bonus point for the fastest lap, but he is a moralesapping 76 points adrift of Hamilton in the championship race.

Hamilton has now triumphed six times from the opening eight rounds, dropping just 21 points along the way.

A sixth world title, which would move him to within one of Michael Schumacher’s record, is becoming an inevitability.

The combination of Hamilton and his Mercedes machine is proving unstoppable. Here, he was unchallenged from pole position, leading every lap en route to recording his 79th career win.

The Briton requires 13 further victories to topple Schumacher’s win record. There are 13 races left this year.

Ferrari have been no match for Mercedes this season, and have endured arguably their worst weekend of the season in France.

They failed in their appeal to overturn Vettel’s penalty which lost him the Canadian Grand Prix a fortnight ago. Vettel could qualify only seventh, before making up just two places.

At one point, the four-time champion was told to go to “Plan F”. Plan A is a distant memory for the Scuderia.

In a race of rare action, British teenager Lando Norris was unable to build on his career-best qualifying of fifth.

The 19-year-old novice lost out to McLaren team-mate Carlos Sainz on the race down to the opening bend, before Vettel’s Ferrari cruised past him on lap five. Then, he was forced to nurse a suspected hydraulics issue to the line.

Norris looked as though he would hang on to seventh but cruelly lost three places on the final lap, to Daniel Ricciardo, Kimi Raikkonen and Nico Hulkenberg, finishing 10th and taking just one point.

Norris’ fellow British rookie George Russell finished last as he was beaten by Williams team-mate Robert Kubica for the first time this season.

Getty. Defending champion Lewis Hamilton celebrates victory in France - his sixth win in the opening eight races.