Lewis Hamilton Wins Canadian GP 2012

The Canadian GP on Sunday as it happened... Two tempestuous youngsters on the front row, two experienced Old heads on the 2nd. Who will lead after the first lap? On yesterday's timings Vettel, by a fair way, but as we know F1 isn't too predictable this season. Last year it was a thrilling finish with Jenson Button eventually overtaking Vettel after a lengthy stop from very heavy rain. None of that this year however, it looks like a beautiful day out there and the only worry they may have is that it will make Tyre degradation a little quicker. Parade Lap complete and waiting on those lights. We're under way, good start by Vettel and they head round turn 1 in formation. Massa is biting at Rosberg already, and he has a go up the straight but Rosberg is defensive and protects his position. Di Resta is up to 7th, Raikkonen up in 11th. Massa snaps that place away on the second attempt up the straight from Rosberg. Vettel has pulled away now and leads by 1.4 seconds as the DRS is enabled. Straight on that DRS is Paul Di Resta as he also takes Rosberg and 6th position. Vettel extends his lead with the fastest lap so far to get almost 2 seconds away from Hamilton. Massa is on a flier, catching Webber already and as I say that he spins it through turn 1 to 2 and gets it going again but only in 13th place. A lot of drivers worrying about their tyres now. Button is still holding Raikkonen off, both of them started the race on Soft tyres and will be able to get deeper into the race before pitting. They are still hanging on to the back of 5th-8th who are all on Super Softs and will be pitting soon. Rosberg is visibly pulling out of the slipstream from Di Resta, desperate to save his tyres and keep good cooling on his car. Hamilton is chewing away at Vettel's lead but is still desperate to get into that 1 second DRS zone. Di Resta complaining about rear tyres as he leads a train of cars from 5th. Massa heads into the pits after he badly flat-spotted those tyres when he spun and he gets a new set of Soft tyres. Force India mechanics fly out of the garage as Di Resta dives in followed by Schumacher both for new sets of softs. Raikkonen dives up the inside on the DRS and takes 7th away from Button. He's left him behind too, gapping him rather quickly. Those Lotus cars are hellish good when the drivers can be bothered to drive them! Hamilton is right on Vettel now, Alonso catching them both as the Red Bull struggles. Button pits for Super Soft tyres. Hamilton on the DRS but doesn't need to overtake as Vettel dives into the pits for Soft tyres. He comes out behind Grosjean's Lotus. Hamilton leads from Alonso and they are matching each other all the way round. Hamilton pits, will he come out in front of Vettel? Yes he does!! Good Job McLaren. Not the greatest pit stop but they still get him out there in front. Alonso is setting fastest sectors out in front, and stays out on his tyres. Vettel has a go at Hamilton but Lewis is too wily for that. Hamilton's pit error was the car going into anti-stall, so for once, not a mechanic error. Alonso into the pits, good stop and he's in front of Hamilton and Vettel. Grosjean leads in the Lotus but hasn't pitted yet, Hamilton on the DRS against Alonso and takes him for 2nd. Raikkonen, Kobayashi and Perez have caught this group too but they are still to pit. Grosjean pits and gives the lead to Hamilton, this is some race, 1st to 4th all World Champions. Button is having a nightmare down in 14th fighting with Schumacher. Vettel is trying hard to catch Alonso as the Ferrari struggles to warm the tyres up. Hamilton is loving this, they can fight all race for all he cares as he's pulling away with the lead over 2 seconds now. Karthikeyan spun out at the first turn and then parks the car, no safety car though. De La Rosa also parks it in the garage so thats both HRT's out. Raikkonen and Perez are keeping pace with the leaders even though their tyres are 28 laps old. Hamilton is setting fastest lap after fastest lap now leading by 3.5 seconds. Webber has caught Perez but will find it difficult to pass as Perez is setting very good times. Raikkonen starting to slide a little now, may need to pit soon. Button is still having a nightmare and pits for the 2nd time for super softs. Webber is being held up by Perez now, he'll be fuming under that visor. Rosberg is closing on Webber as he's stuck behind those two. Webber is freed by Rosberg as he pits but quickly makes a mistake and has Grosjean right behind him. Rosberg is flying after that pit stop. Raikkonen pits for Super Softs which have to last until the end of the race. Rosberg may get slowed down as Raikkonen comes out right in front of him, but Rosberg swallows him up into the final chicane. Perez then pops out of the pits in the middle of them, on Super Softs which, as well as Raikkonen, have to last until the end of the race. Alonso has cut the gap to Hamilton now, back down to 3 seconds as Vettel drops back to a slightly distant 3rd. Schumacher is called into the pits as his DRS is jammed wide open, and that looks like the end of his race. Hamilton gets on the radio as his tyres are going off, Webber on the radio being told to watch for Rosberg as he's steaming along after that earlier pit stop. He has got 2 backmarkers to overtake and Massa but he shouldn't need to pit again. This must be sickening for Jenson as Lewis comes up to overtake but saves him the embarrassment by diving into the pits, and yet again another slow pit stop for McLaren. Hamilton told to give it everything now, it's a must as Alonso is quick and that stop was slow. He is though, personal bests so far. Webber pits behind Hamilton and comes out behind Rosberg and Perez, he was warned about that. Hamilton sets the fastest lap, and another one, he doesn't want to lose this race. Alonso and Vettel still to pit here, or we think they are. Lewis is catching them already though, by 1 second a lap. And now Lewis is warned that it's not impossible for them to be 1 stopping. He won't like that, not after asking earlier if they would and asking 'Are you sure?'. Massa in 5th after being out there since lap 12 on the same tyres, they look a little shot though. Perez nabs 6th place from Rosberg after Rosberg attempted to take Massa but had to cut the chicane and let Massa back past, Perez cheekily followed Massa and gave Nico the cold shoulder around turn 2 to take his place. Massa is quickly passed by Perez as those tyres are getting ready to give up. Rosberg does the same and Webber, Raikkonen and Kobayashi will be following. Massa pits now, desperate for those new boots. The leaders must be going for 1 stops, so Hamilton needs to pass them on those fresh tyres. He's 2 seconds behind Vettel who is 2.4 seconds behind Alonso. He's got 9 laps to do it. Sergio Perez has set the fastest laps on those well used Super Soft tyres, the boy is unreal. Hamilton has closed on Vettel, he needs to get past so he can get on Alonso but he can wait for the DRS zone so as to not throw a banzai at Vettel. And he does, breezing past Vettel. Alonso to take now for Lewis to be the 7th winner of the season. The gap is 1.5 seconds, it should be under 1 second by the DRS zone. It is, on the power and the DRS, he's on Alonso's gearbox. Vettel pits, those tyres must have been dead and that promotes Grosjean to 3rd. Hamilton is nipping at Alonso's heels, but now should have him at the DRS zone. which he does easily! Hamilton leads deservedly, and should run away with this race now. Grosjean is also catching Alonso quickly so will attack for 2nd. Sergio Perez is also flying and setting more and more fastest laps. Grosjean promptly flies past Alonso as Perez goes 3 seconds quicker that lap than Alonso. Vettel is looking ragged as he slaps the wall of champions. 'Fernando Alonso I'm coming for you' says Perez as he is up on the back of his Ferrari and bound to overtake him in the DRS which he does. Vettel is also closing on Alonso after pitting when overtaken by Hamilton and putting on fresh tyres. Alonso is passed by Vettel before they even get to DRS, it's into the chicane and Vettel zips off with 4th. Hamilton comes down the straight, into the chicane and on the pit straight to victory in Canada. For once this year, his luck has held and he has won a race. It should have happened sooner this season, and if not for the team may have. So now Lewis Hamilton leads the Championship as he is the 7th different Winner in the 7th race. Not to forget about Grosjean in 2nd for Lotus and Perez performing greatly to take 3rd for Sauber. Candian GP 2012 Results 1st Hamilton (McLaren) 2nd Grosjean (Lotus) 3rd Perez (Sauber) 4th Vettel (Red Bull) 5th Alonso (Ferrari) 6th Rosberg (Mercedes) 7th Webber (Red Bull) 8th Raikkonen (Lotus) 9th Kobayashi (Sauber) 10th Massa (Ferrari) 11th Di Resta (Force India) 12th Hulkenberg (Force India) 13th Maldonado (Williams) 14th Ricciardo (Toro Rosso) 15th Vergne (Toro Rosso) 16th Button (McLaren) 17th Senna (Williams) 18th Kovalainen (Caterham) 19th Petrov (Caterham) 20th Pic (Marussia) Ret'd Glock (Marussia) Schumacher (Mercedes) De La Rosa (HRT) Karthikeyan (HRT)