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The joy of six: Lewis Hamilton's greatest F1 grand prix victories | Giles Richards

From his 2008 heroics in the Silverstone rain to winning from 14th on the grid at Hockenheim a decade later, Hamilton has delivered some unforgettable moments over the yearsHamilton’s greatest recovery drive may still be his fightback from 18th to second in Turkey at a GP2 race but then there was this outstanding win, his only victory from below 10th on the grid. He suffered a hydraulic problem in qualifying and started from 14th at Hockenheim with Sebastian Vettel – in a quicker Ferrari at that point in the season – on pole. Hamilton immediately hared off through the midfield and swiftly made it to fourth when the rain descended. Always supreme in the wet he was quickest on track,...

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Mercedes miles ahead in Austria where they have struggled in past | Giles Richards

Valtteri Bottas’s win suggests the champion constructors will be ominously strong again this season and F1 deserves credit for the biosphere system which saw a Covid clear raceValtteri Bottas’s win in Austria might have been nail-biting for the team, given they feared his car was very close to a shutdown because of a gearbox sensor problem, but from the weekend as a whole Mercedes emerged ominously strong. Their car is comfortably once more at the front of the field, with their form bearing the hallmarks of one of those relentless Metallica riffs that churns on and on and on. Half a second up in qualifying, nearest competitor Red Bull had to opt for an alternate tyre strategy just to give...

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A year to remember: F1’s highs and lows from the 2019 season | Giles Richards

Hamilton’s sixth title and Leclerc’s brilliant debut season shone this year, while Williams were left licking their wounds Related: Ferrari’s historic penchant for a good crisis remains – 90 years down the track | Richard Williams Related: Lewis Hamilton is not only a peerless champion, he is the face of F1 | Giles Richards Related: Lewis Hamilton speaking to Ferrari about ending F1 career with team Continue reading...

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Ferrari face reality while McLaren’s progress is starting to be noted | Giles Richards

Scuderia admit risks need to be taken in Montreal, it’s looking good for Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc’s season is becoming a fast track of learning experiencesMercedes came within a whisker of losing a win that was in their hands in Monaco. Having put Lewis Hamilton on the medium tyres, the team principal, Toto Wolff, admitted the British driver had saved their race in bringing his car home and preventing Max Verstappen having a chance to pass. It was welcome for giving the race a tense climax that would otherwise have been lacking. Hamilton was vocal about his concerns throughout, which have been criticised but are the understandable complaining of a driver in a pressure situation he could do nothing...

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