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MONTREAL. — Britain’s Lewis Hamilton won the Canadian Grand Prix for the fifth time on Sunday and paid tribute to the late boxing great Muhammad Ali after cutting Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg’s championship lead to nine points.
The 31-year-old Briton, who ended seven winless months with his victory in Monaco last month, delivered a gutsy and well-judged drive in his Mercedes to recover from a poor start and finish ahead of Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari.
Finn Valtteri Bottas repeated his success of 2015 at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve when he claimed the Williams team’s first podium finish of the season in third place.
Hamilton has now cut teammate Nico Rosberg’s lead from 43 points to nine in the last two races to set himself up for a tilt at his fourth title.
“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. That’s for Muhammad Ali,” the triple world champion said over the radio after taking the chequered flag at a cold Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
After parking up, Hamilton did an “Ali shuffle” in another mark of respect for the former heavyweight champion whose funeral was on Friday.
“I was just floating out there, the car was really floating,” he said of his 45th career victory in Formula One. — AFP.
Online Reporter