Sebastian Vettel rules Canadian Grand Prix from start to finish

Sebastian Vettel raises his winners trophy after flying to victory at the Canadian Grand Prix in Edmonton yesterday. Picture: AP

Vettel ruled from lights to flag at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in an emphatic display as he crossed the line ahead of Valtteri Bottas with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in third.

But Hamilton, so often the master here in Montreal, had to settle for fifth on a weekend to forget for the defending champion and his team.

Indeed the Englishman, who arrived in North America with a 14-point lead over Vettel, will now head to the next round in France trailing his Ferrari rival by one point.

Daniel Ricciardo took the chequered flag in fourth ahead of Hamilton, with Kimi Raikkonen sixth for Ferrari.

Unlike all their rivals, Mercedes failed to bring a planned engine upgrade to the seventh round of the championship – and it would cost the Briton dearly.

Hamilton, pictured below, running on a seven-race-old engine, reported he was down on power in the opening exchanges, and had to pit earlier than planned as his Mercedes team added coolant to his overheating machinery.

Hamilton, fourth at the time, headed into the pit lane on lap 16 of this 70-lap race, but the early change of tyres allowed Ricciardo to usurp the  Mercedes car.

Vettel, armed with a fresh engine, flew to victory to claim Ferrari’s first victory in Canada for 14 years and the German’s first in five races.

His win was never in doubt after he surged off the starting line and controlled the race to claim his 50th grand prix win – despite the chequered flag accidentally being waved one lap before the finish by Canadian model Winnie Harlow – and apply the championship pressure back on to Hamilton.

Vettel joins only Michael Schumacher, the last Ferrari driver to triumph in Canada, Hamilton and Alain Prost to win a half-century of races.

It is 40 years since Canadian Gilles Villeneuve, after whom the circuit is named, won the first F1 race in Montreal in a Ferrari car.

“It is unbelievable,” Vettel said. “I have already said what this place means to Ferrari.

“To have a Ferrari winning today, and me driving it, makes me very proud and honoured. It is a day to remember for the great Gilles Villeneuve.

“There is still a long way to go [in the championship] but it is a good side effect. After a long stretch that Ferrari have not won here, the people will be super-happy, and they will have a blast tonight.”

Bottas, who crossed the line the best part of seven seconds down, added: “That was the maximum today. Maybe from pole, it could have been different, but we maxed out with second, so I am happy with that.” Bottas did well to finish second, while it was a much-needed quiet afternoon for Verstappen, following his series of accidents. He finished a comfortable third.

British team Williams have endured a miserable season and they will leave Montreal rooted to the foot of the constructors’ championship.

Lance Stroll caused the biggest incident when he lost control of his Williams on the 170mph charge to turn six and squeezed Brendon Hartley up against the wall. Toro Rosso’s Hartley was left with nowhere to go and the two collided in dramatic fashion. Both reported they were unharmed in the opening-lap incident, but New Zealander Hartley was subsequently taken to hospital for a scan.

Fernando Alonso’s 300th grand prix epitomised his recent miserable run with McLaren. After starting only 14th, he retired with an exhaust issue.