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Lewis Hamilton top in Canadian Grand Prix first practice
By Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer in Montreal
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Live text and audio commentary for second practice is live on the BBC Sport website at 18:30 BST
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton edged title rival Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari to set the pace in first practice at the Canadian Grand Prix.
Hamilton, trailing Vettel by 25 points in the championship, was 0.198seconds clear of the German with their team-mates Valtteri Bottas and Kimi Raikkonen next.
Fernando Alonso's return to Formula 1 after missing the Monaco Grand Prix ended with the Spaniard stopping on track.
The two-time champion suffered a lack of hydraulic pressure, McLaren said.
The team were unable to say what had caused the problem.
Pressure builds on Honda
Alonso was told by his engineer to stop on track. He pointed out that was he already at the hairpin, the last corner before the pit entry and it was easier to come back to the pits, but was ordered to stop.
He flung the impact-protection foam out of his cockpit as he climbed out and was given a standing ovation and cheers by the crowd in the grandstands.
"We are used to it," he told reporters on the way back to the pits.
Fernando Alonso's McLaren broke down again, as the pressure builds on Honda
The failure came as McLaren executive director Zak Brown again said that Honda had to up their game if the partnership was to have a future.
Two days after saying he had "serious concerns" about Honda, and a day after Alonso indicated he could leave McLaren at the end of the year if they were not winning by September, Brown told BBC Sport: "The plan right now is to have the Honda in the back of the car (in 2018) but some things need to happen between now and then for us to have the confidence we can be at the front of the field next year.
"We need to get competitive and show regular signs that we are getting competitive.
"Right now, we're not racing well, not finishing races and that can't happen any more.
"We are starting to work on the 2018 car so we need to make any decisions that impact 2018 by the summer break. Something needs to change. If you keep doing the same thing, you are going to get the same result. Maybe take some risks, do things they wouldn't normally do. You can't keep doing the same thing and expect things to change."
Asked if they had been discussing a customer engine supply with Mercedes, Brown said: "We have a plan B, a Plan C. We have some plans."
Mercedes back on form?
Back at the front, it was for Mercedes an encouraging start to a weekend when ideally they need to start clawing back some ground in the championship.
A poor weekend for Hamilton in Monaco allowed Vettel to extend a lead of nearly a a clear win by winning the race.
Form guide: Hamilton and Vettel's progress so far
The silver and red cars appeared closely matched throughout the session on a tricky, slippery Circuit Gilles Villeneuve that provoked a number of spins through the first session.
The combination of a low-grip, low-abrasion track surface and asphalt that is in a park and rarely used for the rest of the year and therefore dusty and dirty makes for a treacherous experience for the drivers, with unyielding walls waiting for those who make mistakes in the wrong places.
Behind Mercedes and Ferrari, Force India impressed, with Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon fifth and sixth quickest ahead of the Red Bull of Max Verstappen, who was separated from team-mate Daniel Ricciardo by Felipe Massa's Williams.
Massa's team-mate Lance Stroll was five places and 1.2secs behind on his first experience at his home race.
Alonso's team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne was 11th quickest, with the Spaniard's single lap putting him 16th.
Swami
By Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer in Montreal
- 35 minutes ago
- From the section Formula 1
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Live text and audio commentary for second practice is live on the BBC Sport website at 18:30 BST
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton edged title rival Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari to set the pace in first practice at the Canadian Grand Prix.
Hamilton, trailing Vettel by 25 points in the championship, was 0.198seconds clear of the German with their team-mates Valtteri Bottas and Kimi Raikkonen next.
Fernando Alonso's return to Formula 1 after missing the Monaco Grand Prix ended with the Spaniard stopping on track.
The two-time champion suffered a lack of hydraulic pressure, McLaren said.
The team were unable to say what had caused the problem.
Pressure builds on Honda
Alonso was told by his engineer to stop on track. He pointed out that was he already at the hairpin, the last corner before the pit entry and it was easier to come back to the pits, but was ordered to stop.
He flung the impact-protection foam out of his cockpit as he climbed out and was given a standing ovation and cheers by the crowd in the grandstands.
"We are used to it," he told reporters on the way back to the pits.
Fernando Alonso's McLaren broke down again, as the pressure builds on Honda
The failure came as McLaren executive director Zak Brown again said that Honda had to up their game if the partnership was to have a future.
Two days after saying he had "serious concerns" about Honda, and a day after Alonso indicated he could leave McLaren at the end of the year if they were not winning by September, Brown told BBC Sport: "The plan right now is to have the Honda in the back of the car (in 2018) but some things need to happen between now and then for us to have the confidence we can be at the front of the field next year.
"We need to get competitive and show regular signs that we are getting competitive.
"Right now, we're not racing well, not finishing races and that can't happen any more.
"We are starting to work on the 2018 car so we need to make any decisions that impact 2018 by the summer break. Something needs to change. If you keep doing the same thing, you are going to get the same result. Maybe take some risks, do things they wouldn't normally do. You can't keep doing the same thing and expect things to change."
Asked if they had been discussing a customer engine supply with Mercedes, Brown said: "We have a plan B, a Plan C. We have some plans."
Mercedes back on form?
Back at the front, it was for Mercedes an encouraging start to a weekend when ideally they need to start clawing back some ground in the championship.
A poor weekend for Hamilton in Monaco allowed Vettel to extend a lead of nearly a a clear win by winning the race.
Form guide: Hamilton and Vettel's progress so far
The silver and red cars appeared closely matched throughout the session on a tricky, slippery Circuit Gilles Villeneuve that provoked a number of spins through the first session.
The combination of a low-grip, low-abrasion track surface and asphalt that is in a park and rarely used for the rest of the year and therefore dusty and dirty makes for a treacherous experience for the drivers, with unyielding walls waiting for those who make mistakes in the wrong places.
Behind Mercedes and Ferrari, Force India impressed, with Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon fifth and sixth quickest ahead of the Red Bull of Max Verstappen, who was separated from team-mate Daniel Ricciardo by Felipe Massa's Williams.
Massa's team-mate Lance Stroll was five places and 1.2secs behind on his first experience at his home race.
Alonso's team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne was 11th quickest, with the Spaniard's single lap putting him 16th.
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Telly Talk Supreme
Lewis Hamilton trails Kimi Raikkonen in Canada second practice
By Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer in Montreal
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Live text and audio commentary of final practice and qualifying are live on the BBC Sport website on Saturday
Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen turned the tables on Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton to set the pace in second practice at the Canadian Grand Prix.
The Finn was 0.215 seconds clear of Hamilton, fastest in the first session, and 0.265secs quicker than team-mate and title leader Sebastian Vettel.
Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas was fourth quickest, 0.11secs slower than Vettel.
Fernando Alonso, back after racing in the Indianapolis 500, was seventh after more Honda engine problems.
A battle brewing?
The top two teams appeared evenly matched, not only on their performance runs on the ultra-soft tyres, on which they set their fastest lap times, but also on the race-simulation runs later in the session.
Form guide: Hamilton and Vettel's progress so far
Bottas and Raikkonen were the fastest of the drivers who did their long runs on the ultra-soft tyres and on their average times the Mercedes driver was quicker by a little less than 0.1secs.
Hamilton also ran on the ultra-soft tyre and was also 0.1secs slower than Bottas, although he had a disjointed run, featuring lots of slow laps, to the extent that it motivated Vettel, who was following him, to complain about his driving.
Vettel said: "I'm stuck behind Hamilton who is making mistakes and backing off."
But the four-time world champion played down the incident after practice, saying he knew Hamilton was just trying to get a clear lap.
Vettel said: "It was slippery and easy to do mistakes. I spun twice today. Mercedes looked good today but I think it will be very, very close, more or less like we all expect it, which is good."
Hamilton added: "The car is back to normal [after his struggles at the last race in Monaco] but it is still weak in a lot of areas and the Ferrari is still the quickest and with everything I am pushing currently, I can't beat the Ferrari's time."
Pressure builds on Honda
Two-time world champion Alonso's engine suffered a hydraulic leak after just one timed lap in the first session and missed the first hour of the second while Honda fixed the problem.
He did get out in time to do 17 laps and a couple of runs at the end of the session.
Team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne had a relatively trouble-free day but was only 19th fastest, his fastest time set on the slowest 'soft' tyre after he spun on his run on the quickest ultra-soft.
During the first session, Alonso was told by his engineer to stop on track. He pointed out that was he already at the hairpin, the last corner before the pit entry and it was easier to come back to the pits, but was ordered to stop.
He flung the impact-protection foam out of his cockpit as he climbed out and was given a standing ovation and cheers by the crowd in the grandstands.
"We are used to it," he told reporters on the way back to the pits.
Fernando Alonso's McLaren broke down again, as the pressure builds on Honda
The failure came as McLaren executive director Zak Brown again said that Honda had to up their game if the partnership was to have a future.
Two days after saying he had "serious concerns" about Honda, and a day after Alonso indicated he could leave McLaren at the end of the year if they were not winning by September, Brown told BBC Sport: "The plan right now is to have the Honda in the back of the car (in 2018) but some things need to happen between now and then for us to have the confidence we can be at the front of the field next year.
"We need to get competitive and show regular signs that we are getting competitive.
"Right now, we're not racing well, not finishing races and that can't happen any more.
"We are starting to work on the 2018 car so we need to make any decisions that impact 2018 by the summer break. Something needs to change.
"If you keep doing the same thing, you are going to get the same result. Maybe take some risks, do things they wouldn't normally do. You can't keep doing the same thing and expect things to change."
Asked if they had been discussing a customer engine supply with Mercedes, Brown said: "We have a plan B, a Plan C. We have some plans."
Sebastian Vettel's strong form this season is going to some Ferrari fans' heads...
It was also a difficult Friday for Red Bull. Max Verstappen's car stopped on track with a technical problem causing an eight-minute red flag delay with 20 minutes of the second session remaining and ended up fifth quickest.
Team-mate Daniel Ricciardo suffered an engine problem early in the second session and was only 14th fastest.
Swami
By Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer in Montreal
- 9 Jun
- From the section Formula 1
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/40229436
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Live text and audio commentary of final practice and qualifying are live on the BBC Sport website on Saturday
Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen turned the tables on Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton to set the pace in second practice at the Canadian Grand Prix.
The Finn was 0.215 seconds clear of Hamilton, fastest in the first session, and 0.265secs quicker than team-mate and title leader Sebastian Vettel.
Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas was fourth quickest, 0.11secs slower than Vettel.
Fernando Alonso, back after racing in the Indianapolis 500, was seventh after more Honda engine problems.
A battle brewing?
The top two teams appeared evenly matched, not only on their performance runs on the ultra-soft tyres, on which they set their fastest lap times, but also on the race-simulation runs later in the session.
Form guide: Hamilton and Vettel's progress so far
Bottas and Raikkonen were the fastest of the drivers who did their long runs on the ultra-soft tyres and on their average times the Mercedes driver was quicker by a little less than 0.1secs.
Hamilton also ran on the ultra-soft tyre and was also 0.1secs slower than Bottas, although he had a disjointed run, featuring lots of slow laps, to the extent that it motivated Vettel, who was following him, to complain about his driving.
Vettel said: "I'm stuck behind Hamilton who is making mistakes and backing off."
But the four-time world champion played down the incident after practice, saying he knew Hamilton was just trying to get a clear lap.
Vettel said: "It was slippery and easy to do mistakes. I spun twice today. Mercedes looked good today but I think it will be very, very close, more or less like we all expect it, which is good."
Hamilton added: "The car is back to normal [after his struggles at the last race in Monaco] but it is still weak in a lot of areas and the Ferrari is still the quickest and with everything I am pushing currently, I can't beat the Ferrari's time."
Pressure builds on Honda
Two-time world champion Alonso's engine suffered a hydraulic leak after just one timed lap in the first session and missed the first hour of the second while Honda fixed the problem.
He did get out in time to do 17 laps and a couple of runs at the end of the session.
Team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne had a relatively trouble-free day but was only 19th fastest, his fastest time set on the slowest 'soft' tyre after he spun on his run on the quickest ultra-soft.
During the first session, Alonso was told by his engineer to stop on track. He pointed out that was he already at the hairpin, the last corner before the pit entry and it was easier to come back to the pits, but was ordered to stop.
He flung the impact-protection foam out of his cockpit as he climbed out and was given a standing ovation and cheers by the crowd in the grandstands.
"We are used to it," he told reporters on the way back to the pits.
Fernando Alonso's McLaren broke down again, as the pressure builds on Honda
The failure came as McLaren executive director Zak Brown again said that Honda had to up their game if the partnership was to have a future.
Two days after saying he had "serious concerns" about Honda, and a day after Alonso indicated he could leave McLaren at the end of the year if they were not winning by September, Brown told BBC Sport: "The plan right now is to have the Honda in the back of the car (in 2018) but some things need to happen between now and then for us to have the confidence we can be at the front of the field next year.
"We need to get competitive and show regular signs that we are getting competitive.
"Right now, we're not racing well, not finishing races and that can't happen any more.
"We are starting to work on the 2018 car so we need to make any decisions that impact 2018 by the summer break. Something needs to change.
"If you keep doing the same thing, you are going to get the same result. Maybe take some risks, do things they wouldn't normally do. You can't keep doing the same thing and expect things to change."
Asked if they had been discussing a customer engine supply with Mercedes, Brown said: "We have a plan B, a Plan C. We have some plans."
Sebastian Vettel's strong form this season is going to some Ferrari fans' heads...
It was also a difficult Friday for Red Bull. Max Verstappen's car stopped on track with a technical problem causing an eight-minute red flag delay with 20 minutes of the second session remaining and ended up fifth quickest.
Team-mate Daniel Ricciardo suffered an engine problem early in the second session and was only 14th fastest.
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Lewis Hamilton equals Ayrton Senna pole record
By Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer in Montreal
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/40234706
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Lewis Hamilton produced a stunning lap to set pole position at the Canadian Grand Prix ahead of his title rival Sebastian Vettel.
Hamilton ended the session 0.330 seconds quicker than the Ferrari driver after a series of blistering laps on a track where he has won five times in nine races.
His pole is the 65th of his career, equalling his hero Ayrton Senna, just three behind all-time holder Michael Schumacher.
After the session, Hamilton was presented with one of Senna's old helmets, a gift from the late Brazilian's family for equalling his record.
"Wow," he said. "I'm shaking. Ayrton, I know for many of you was your favourite driver and he was for me. He inspired me to be where I am today so to receive this is the greatest honour."
Hamilton equals Ayrton Senna's pole position record of 65. Source: Forix
A blistering lap Senna would have been proud of
Hamilton, who is 25 points behind Vettel in the championship after finishing seventh in Monaco after a disappointing weekend, was clearly elated after the session in which he showed a superiority that was completely unexpected.
Ferrari and Mercedes have been closely matched all weekend but Hamilton was in a league of his own once the top 10 shoot-out started.
It was a gripping climax to qualifying. Hamilton produced a blistering lap of one minute 11.791 seconds, only for Vettel to set a time just 0.004secs slower than him.
But Hamilton saved his best for last, lowering his time to 1:11.459, while Vettel did not improve.
Lewis Hamilton grew up idolising Ayrton Senna - now he has his helmet
What they said
"I am so happy," Hamilton added. "Montreal has been good to me over the years. It was a close battle with the Ferraris, who have been so quick all year. I just wanted a good lap, and I got it.
"It was a sexy lap, a great lap. I can't believe it came together so well.
"The team did a great job to learn from our mistakes in the last race and I really owe it all to them."
Vettel said: "I think we have the pace (to win). I was not so happy with the last lap but it was a good qualifying session."
Red Bull - and everybody else - still chasing
Hamilton's team-mate Valtteri Bottas was third ahead of Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen.
The three-time champion and Vettel were each half a second quicker than their respective team-mates.
Red Bull were best of the rest, as ever, Max Verstappen pipping team-mate Daniel Ricciardo for fifth place, with Williams' Felipe Massa seventh ahead of the Force Indias of Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon, and Nico Hulkenberg's Renault.
The German's team-mate Jolyon Palmer, whose future at the team is in doubt, was down in 15th after being 0.7secs slower in second qualifying.
Fernando Alonso was 12th on his return to Formula 1 after missing the Monaco Grand Prix to race in the Indianapolis 500, well ahead of team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne in 16th.
Canadian rookie Lance Stroll struggled at his first home race, the 18-year-old 0.7secs off Massa in first qualifying and qualifying 17th.
Title contenders: who has finished where so far
Here's a mechanic's eye view of a Formula 1 weekend
And a film star's eye of a Formula 1 weekend - Michael Douglas' to be precise
The Canadian Grand Prix takes place on a man-made island off Montreal
Swami
By Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer in Montreal
- 23 minutes ago
- From the section Formula 1
Copy this link
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/40234706
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Lewis Hamilton produced a stunning lap to set pole position at the Canadian Grand Prix ahead of his title rival Sebastian Vettel.
Hamilton ended the session 0.330 seconds quicker than the Ferrari driver after a series of blistering laps on a track where he has won five times in nine races.
His pole is the 65th of his career, equalling his hero Ayrton Senna, just three behind all-time holder Michael Schumacher.
After the session, Hamilton was presented with one of Senna's old helmets, a gift from the late Brazilian's family for equalling his record.
"Wow," he said. "I'm shaking. Ayrton, I know for many of you was your favourite driver and he was for me. He inspired me to be where I am today so to receive this is the greatest honour."
Hamilton equals Ayrton Senna's pole position record of 65. Source: Forix
A blistering lap Senna would have been proud of
Hamilton, who is 25 points behind Vettel in the championship after finishing seventh in Monaco after a disappointing weekend, was clearly elated after the session in which he showed a superiority that was completely unexpected.
Ferrari and Mercedes have been closely matched all weekend but Hamilton was in a league of his own once the top 10 shoot-out started.
It was a gripping climax to qualifying. Hamilton produced a blistering lap of one minute 11.791 seconds, only for Vettel to set a time just 0.004secs slower than him.
But Hamilton saved his best for last, lowering his time to 1:11.459, while Vettel did not improve.
Lewis Hamilton grew up idolising Ayrton Senna - now he has his helmet
What they said
"I am so happy," Hamilton added. "Montreal has been good to me over the years. It was a close battle with the Ferraris, who have been so quick all year. I just wanted a good lap, and I got it.
"It was a sexy lap, a great lap. I can't believe it came together so well.
"The team did a great job to learn from our mistakes in the last race and I really owe it all to them."
Vettel said: "I think we have the pace (to win). I was not so happy with the last lap but it was a good qualifying session."
Red Bull - and everybody else - still chasing
Hamilton's team-mate Valtteri Bottas was third ahead of Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen.
The three-time champion and Vettel were each half a second quicker than their respective team-mates.
Red Bull were best of the rest, as ever, Max Verstappen pipping team-mate Daniel Ricciardo for fifth place, with Williams' Felipe Massa seventh ahead of the Force Indias of Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon, and Nico Hulkenberg's Renault.
The German's team-mate Jolyon Palmer, whose future at the team is in doubt, was down in 15th after being 0.7secs slower in second qualifying.
Fernando Alonso was 12th on his return to Formula 1 after missing the Monaco Grand Prix to race in the Indianapolis 500, well ahead of team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne in 16th.
Canadian rookie Lance Stroll struggled at his first home race, the 18-year-old 0.7secs off Massa in first qualifying and qualifying 17th.
Title contenders: who has finished where so far
Here's a mechanic's eye view of a Formula 1 weekend
And a film star's eye of a Formula 1 weekend - Michael Douglas' to be precise
The Canadian Grand Prix takes place on a man-made island off Montreal
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Telly Talk Supreme
Lewis Hamilton wins in Canada for sixth time
By Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer in Montreal
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/40241886
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Lewis Hamilton dominated the Canadian Grand Prix as dramatic action behind allowed him to cut his points deficit to Sebastian Vettel.
The Mercedes driver controlled the race from start to finish, leading home team-mate Valtteri Bottas, while Vettel could finish only fourth in the Ferrari, his championship lead cut by half to 12 points.
Vettel dropped to the back when he needed to change his front wing, damaged by Red Bull's Max Verstappen at the start.
He recovered well with some aggressive over taking on a two-stop strategy and caught the battle for third place, in which Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo was leading the Force Indias of Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon, with seven laps to go.
Vettel passed Ocon in a touch-and-go move into Turn One with four laps to go. An off-track moment a few corners later dropped him back from Perez but he made an aggressive move into the last corner with two laps to go.
That six wins in Canada now for Hamilton. Only Michael Schumacher has more, on seven - they are way ahead of anyone in the history of the sport
Hamilton vs Vettel - a battle denied
Hamilton and Vettel qualified alongside each other on the front row and were expected to stage a close fight in the race for superiority in a race the Mercedes driver really needed to win to boost his title hopes.
But the grand prix fell into Hamilton's lap within a few seconds of the start.
Verstappen made an electrifying getaway from fifth place, threaded his way between the Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen and Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas and swept around the outside of Vettel into the first corner.
But the Dutchman slightly misjudged the move, and his left rear wheel clipped Vettel's front wing as he claimed the corner.
As Verstappen forced his way up to second at the first corner, he clipped Vettel's front wing, effectively ending his challenge
The chaos which shaped the race
Shortly afterwards, Toro Rosso's Carlos Sainz tangled with Haas' Romain Grosjean on the curving straight between Turns Two and three and the Spaniard lost control, spinning down the inside of the track and side-swiping Felipe Massa's Williams in Turn Three, forcing Fernando Alonso's McLaren on to the grass in avoidance.
That brought out the safety car for four laps but Ferrari waited until the restart on lap five to bring in Vettel and change his front wing and fit a set of super-soft tyres.
The plan may have been to try to get to the end on that set, but this was abandoned on lap 49, by which time Vettel was up to sixth place.
Ferrari chose to stop Vettel again in the hope he would have fresher tyres and be able to catch and pass the cars battling for third place behind Hamilton and team-mate Valtteri Bottas.
Their predictions that he would catch Ricciardo/Perez/Ocon with eight laps to go were spot on and it led to an entertaining and frantic battle from which Vettel emerged the victor.
Carlos Sainz crashed on the first lap after fighting with Romain Grosjean
Hamilton in control
Vettel's problems left Hamilton in a league of his own.
He cruised away from Verstappen in the opening laps, and when the Red Bull retired with an engine problem on lap 11, Hamilton had a comfortable pace advantage over Bottas.
He simply drove away unchallenged to his third victory of the year, prompting team boss Toto Wolff to say it was a "stellar" drive and one of his best performances in more than four years with the team.
Swami
By Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer in Montreal
- 10 minutes ago
- From the section Formula 1
Copy this link
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/40241886
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Lewis Hamilton dominated the Canadian Grand Prix as dramatic action behind allowed him to cut his points deficit to Sebastian Vettel.
The Mercedes driver controlled the race from start to finish, leading home team-mate Valtteri Bottas, while Vettel could finish only fourth in the Ferrari, his championship lead cut by half to 12 points.
Vettel dropped to the back when he needed to change his front wing, damaged by Red Bull's Max Verstappen at the start.
He recovered well with some aggressive over taking on a two-stop strategy and caught the battle for third place, in which Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo was leading the Force Indias of Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon, with seven laps to go.
Vettel passed Ocon in a touch-and-go move into Turn One with four laps to go. An off-track moment a few corners later dropped him back from Perez but he made an aggressive move into the last corner with two laps to go.
That six wins in Canada now for Hamilton. Only Michael Schumacher has more, on seven - they are way ahead of anyone in the history of the sport
Hamilton vs Vettel - a battle denied
Hamilton and Vettel qualified alongside each other on the front row and were expected to stage a close fight in the race for superiority in a race the Mercedes driver really needed to win to boost his title hopes.
But the grand prix fell into Hamilton's lap within a few seconds of the start.
Verstappen made an electrifying getaway from fifth place, threaded his way between the Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen and Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas and swept around the outside of Vettel into the first corner.
But the Dutchman slightly misjudged the move, and his left rear wheel clipped Vettel's front wing as he claimed the corner.
As Verstappen forced his way up to second at the first corner, he clipped Vettel's front wing, effectively ending his challenge
The chaos which shaped the race
Shortly afterwards, Toro Rosso's Carlos Sainz tangled with Haas' Romain Grosjean on the curving straight between Turns Two and three and the Spaniard lost control, spinning down the inside of the track and side-swiping Felipe Massa's Williams in Turn Three, forcing Fernando Alonso's McLaren on to the grass in avoidance.
That brought out the safety car for four laps but Ferrari waited until the restart on lap five to bring in Vettel and change his front wing and fit a set of super-soft tyres.
The plan may have been to try to get to the end on that set, but this was abandoned on lap 49, by which time Vettel was up to sixth place.
Ferrari chose to stop Vettel again in the hope he would have fresher tyres and be able to catch and pass the cars battling for third place behind Hamilton and team-mate Valtteri Bottas.
Their predictions that he would catch Ricciardo/Perez/Ocon with eight laps to go were spot on and it led to an entertaining and frantic battle from which Vettel emerged the victor.
Carlos Sainz crashed on the first lap after fighting with Romain Grosjean
Hamilton in control
Vettel's problems left Hamilton in a league of his own.
He cruised away from Verstappen in the opening laps, and when the Red Bull retired with an engine problem on lap 11, Hamilton had a comfortable pace advantage over Bottas.
He simply drove away unchallenged to his third victory of the year, prompting team boss Toto Wolff to say it was a "stellar" drive and one of his best performances in more than four years with the team.
Swami