Mercedes Loses Ground in Formula One Race
MONTREAL (AP) — Mercedes arrived at the Canadian Grand Prix without the correct tires or an expected engine upgrade and left Montreal trailing in the Formula One championship standings.
Ferrari returned to the top of the podium at the track named for Gilles Villeneuve for the first time since 2004, with Sebastian Vettel going from the pole to the checkered flag to finish six seconds ahead of Valtteri Bottas' Mercedes on Sunday. Erstwhile points leader Lewis Hamilton, who was aiming for a record-tying seventh victory in Montreal, struggled to finish fifth and fell one point behind Vettel in the standings.
Despite having the championship leader and the three-time defending Montreal champion, Mercedes leaves Canada second-guessing its strategy to bring fewer sets of the softest tires to the track, a move that Wolff conceded left Hamilton and Bottas at a disadvantage in qualifying. The team also was unable to deliver a reliable engine upgrade in time for the race.
Without it, Hamilton found himself losing power even up until the end. Adding to his problems was a cooling issue that required an early pit.
Vettel was never really challenged, picking up his third victory of the season and 25 points to erase Hamilton's 14-point lead; the Briton salvaged 10 points with hi
*********Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, of Britain, comes through the Senna corner during the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix auto race in Montreal, Sunday, June 10, 2018, in Montreal.
Ferrari returned to the top of the podium at the track named for Gilles Villeneuve for the first time since 2004, with Sebastian Vettel going from the pole to the checkered flag to finish six seconds ahead of Valtteri Bottas' Mercedes on Sunday. Erstwhile points leader Lewis Hamilton, who was aiming for a record-tying seventh victory in Montreal, struggled to finish fifth and fell one point behind Vettel in the standings.
Despite having the championship leader and the three-time defending Montreal champion, Mercedes leaves Canada second-guessing its strategy to bring fewer sets of the softest tires to the track, a move that Wolff conceded left Hamilton and Bottas at a disadvantage in qualifying. The team also was unable to deliver a reliable engine upgrade in time for the race.
Without it, Hamilton found himself losing power even up until the end. Adding to his problems was a cooling issue that required an early pit.
Vettel was never really challenged, picking up his third victory of the season and 25 points to erase Hamilton's 14-point lead; the Briton salvaged 10 points with hi
*********Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, of Britain, comes through the Senna corner during the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix auto race in Montreal, Sunday, June 10, 2018, in Montreal.