Formula One: On-song Hamilton won’t be caught at beloved Canada
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After seeing his title defence begin with five winless races, Lewis Hamilton brought it all together in Monaco to take a sterling, and much-needed, first victory of the year, and there’s every reason the Briton will make it two on the spin in Canada this weekend.
The Mercedes driver came through the rain in the Principality, and coupled with Nico Rosberg’s tough drive to seventh place, reduced his team-mate’s championship lead from 43 points to 24.
Now with some momentum, Hamilton heads to Canada and to a circuit on which he simply revels.
The 31-year-old is a four-time winner around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, and no other active driver currently has more than one victory to their name.
Hamilton has always thrived in the Maple Leaf country, storming to a first pole position and first win back in his debut year, and would be a five-time winner but for brake failure ending his hopes in 2014.
The Englishman is evens favourite to take the chequered flag first once again on Sunday.
Team-mate Rosberg is 2/1, and the German will be desperate to get back to winning ways, after opening the year with four straight victories.
But he was punted out in Spain by Hamilton on lap one, Rosberg then suffered a lacklustre race in Monte Carlo, and his team-mate’s prowess in Canada may prove just too strong.
The Silver Arrows were up against it last time out owing to Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo, and the Australian is next in the betting at 7/1, having won in Montreal two years ago.
The Austrian marquee have stolen a march on Ferrari as Mercedes’ closest challengers, and that’s reflected in the odds with Sebastian Vettel best placed for the Scuderia at 11/1, and teen superstar Max Verstappen 12/1 for Red Bull.
Canada may be still a street race, but in stark contrast to Monaco’s slow and twisty nature, the long straights in Montreal should see Mercedes reassert their dominance.
Factor in Hamilton’s sixth-sense for speed and grip around the circuit, and he already looks a shoo-in for a second straight win of the season.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
