Formula One: Hamilton reclaims lead with 14 point after French Grand Prix win

Lewis Hamilton scored a comfortable victory at the French Grand Prix as his championship rival Sebastian Vettel clashed with Valtteri Bottas at Turn 1 and finished fifth.

Hamilton's lead never looked under threat and the result saw him retake the lead in the championship by 14 points. Vettel, who was penalised five seconds for hitting Bottas at the start, dropped to the back of the field with front wing damage on lap one before slicing his way back through the field to a fifth-place finish.

Max Verstappen finished in second place, seven seconds off Hamilton, but never challenged the Mercedes despite being the first of the front runners to pit. Teammate Daniel Ricciardo had been in the running for third but lost a place to Kimi Raikkonen on lap 47 as the Ferrari driver charged back through the field from sixth on the grid using a faster strategy.

Bottas, who had to pit with a puncture after the collision with Vettel at the start, fought his way back to seventh place with a damaged car and finished just behind the Haas of Kevin Magnussen in sixth. Both cars inherited a position when Carlos Sainz, who had run as high as third at the start, dropped to eighth with a power unit issue.

The Spaniard still managed to finish one place ahead of Renault teammate Nico Hulkenberg in ninth, with Charles Leclerc completing another impressive drive to take the final point in tenth for Sauber.

    





ESPN

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