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SPORTS Monday 15 July 2019

Lewis Hamilton wins record 6th British GP, extends F1 lead

By ROB HARRIS hoping that there might
AP Sports Writer be another opportunity in
SILVERSTONE, England (AP) the race, but I knew the
— A day of dramatic Eng- chances were slim be-
lish sporting glory began cause I had to do another
with a far more fortuitous stop to change to a differ-
— but still record-breaking ent compound anyway.
— victory for Lewis Hamil- “The tire life was ultimately
ton on the nation’s Formula much better than we had
One track. thought, so a one-stop
A sixth British Grand Prix suc- would have been possible,
cess was sealed not with a but our simulations before
thrilling overtaking move the race had predicted a
but by a canny pit stop two-stop to be the fastest
strategy paying off for the option. I’m disappointed
reigning world champion because the win was defi-
on Sunday at Silverstone. nitely possible for me.”A
By finishing 25 seconds Mercedes one-two was
ahead of Mercedes team- a marked improvement
mate Valtteri Bottas, Ham- on the last race in Austria
ilton extended his champi- when Bottas finished third
onship lead over the Finn Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain celebrates after winning the British Formula One Grand and Hamilton back in fifth
to 39 points and moved Prix at the Silverstone racetrack, Silverstone, England, Sunday, July 14, 2019. in the team’s worst perfor-
ahead of Jim Clark and Associated Press mance of the season.
Alain Prost to take the out- in a strong position to win stone crowd has for Brit- win was to slow down to “It was a tough battle,”
right record for British GP the championship after 10 ain’s greatest-ever racing collect a red, white and team principal Toto Wolff
victories. races — never tires of the driver, the five-time world blue flag from a track-side said, “but there’s a lot of
Hours before England’s crowd-surfacing and adu- champion was unexpect- safety marshal. respect between the two
cricketers lifted the World lation of the Union Jack edly dragged into a discus- “This is the greatest single of them and they always
Cup for the first time in waving home crowd. sion on his nationality after moment for an athlete, to left each other enough
London — sealed on a tie- “I have done so many qualifying with a reporter raise their flag as the num- space.” Not so elsewhere
breaker at Lord’s — Ham- races and you would think asking Hamilton why “peo- ber one,” Hamilton said. on the track.
ilton was part of far more I’d get used to it,” Hamil- ple question your British- “One day, I will have that Charles Leclerc of Ferrari
familiar scenes in central ton said. “But this felt just ness.” picture of me in the car completed the podium af-
England in front of a record as amazing as the first win I Hamilton dismissed any holding the British flag. I will ter a crash in the fight for
Silverstone race crowd of ever had here in 2008.” doubts over his patriotism always be able to look at third saw Sebastian Vettel
141,000. While there is no doubting and his first thought after that and smile about it for go into the back of Max
And yet Hamilton — who is the affection the Silver- sealing his 80th grand prix the rest of my life.” Verstappen on lap 38.
Hamilton made the deci- By finishing 15th — includ-
Cardinals great Bob Gibson sive move to the front in the ing a 10-second penalty for
20th of the 52 laps by pit-
the crash — four-time world
fighting pancreatic cancer ting to get new tires. With champion Vettel now trails
the safety car still out after Hamilton by 100 points in
Antonio Giovinazzi spun off fourth place in the stand-
ST. LOUIS (AP) — St. Louis in his Alfa Romeo, Hamilton ings.
Cardinals great Bob Gib- rejoined to remain ahead “It was my mistake,” Vettel
son is fighting pancreatic of pole-sitter Bottas who said. “He passed me and
cancer. had already pitted. he ran a bit wide which
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch “We had a really good gave me the chance to
said the 83-year-old Hall of fight in the beginning,” come back. I looked for a
Famer was diagnosed with Hamilton said. “I nearly got second he was going for
the cancer several weeks him going into turn seven, the right and there would
ago and revealed the but he was next to me and be a gap on the left ... but
news Saturday to the other I couldn’t really close the it didn’t open and by that
living Hall of Famers. door. time it was already too
Gibson’s longtime agent, “After that I backed off a late.” Too late for Vettel to
Dick Zitzmann, told the little and waited for the pit avoid crashing his Ferrari
Post-Dispatch that Gibson stops, hoping that I could into the back of Verstap-
has visited The Johns Hop- maybe overtake him in the pen, damaging the floor
kins Hospital in Baltimore pits. I extended my first stint and diffuser of the Red Bull.
and has been hospitalized for a few more laps, then Verstappen finished fifth.
in his hometown of Oma- the safety car came out “I’m not angry but disap-
ha, Nebraska, for the past and that was perfect tim- pointed as it was hard rac-
two weeks. Zitzmann said In this March 1968 file photo, St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Bob ing for me as I came back ing and Seb didn’t do it
chemotherapy is likely to Gibson is pictured during baseball spring training in Florida. out in front of Valtteri.” on purpose,” Verstappen
begin Monday in Omaha. Associated Press Hamilton had initially at- said. “He also apologized
The newspaper said the received his notification. 1975. The right-hander led tacked Bottas on the fourth as soon as I got out of the
news became public Sat- The Cardinals’ front office St. Louis to World Series titles lap, overtaking but failing car which I respect. I think
urday night when Hall of also was notified. in 1964 and 1967, and the to keep position. we put on a pretty good
Famer Jack Morris, broad- Gibson was 251-174 with a National League pennant “Effectively got a free stop show for the fans today
casting a Minnesota Twins 2.91 ERA in 17 seasons with in 1968. He was 7-2 in nine and came out ahead of and proved the sport is far
game, spoke of it, having the Cardinals from 1959 to World Series starts.q me,” Bottas said. “I was from boring.”q