Hamilton sizzles to a new Canada high

LEWIS HAMILTON left championship rival Sebastian Vettel trailing in his wake with a sensational lap to secure pole position for tomorrow’s Canadian Grand Prix.

Hamilton’s stunning time, the fastest ever seen at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, also moved the triple world champion level on 65 career pole positions with Ayrton Senna.

‘I am shaking here,’ said Hamilton, clearly moved after he was awarded Senna’s yellow crash helmet which the Brazilian used at the 1987 British Grand Prix. ‘I am speechless.’

The British driver finished more than three tenths of a second clear of Vettel, whom he trails by 25 points in the championship race, with Valtteri Bottas to line up in third.

Canada has proven to be a happy stomping ground for Hamilton and so it proved again yesterday. It was here 10 years ago where he secured his first ever grand prix victory, and he will now be odds-on to record his sixth victory in Montreal.

Hamilton laid down the gauntlet with a super-quick opener in the final phase of qualifying before Vettel bit back to move to within just four thousandths of that time.

But the 32-year-old responded in meteoric fashion to stamp his mark on pole and join Senna in second on the all-time list, behind Michael Schumacher.