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Hamilton lead stretched after Singapore win
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Lewis Hamilton won the Singapore Grand Prix yesterday in dominant fashion to increase his Formula One championship lead over Sebastian Vettel to 40 points with just six races remaining.
The Mercedes driver led from pole to chequered flag, with Red Bull鈥檚 Max Verstappen more than eight seconds behind and Ferrari鈥檚 Vettel a distant third.
鈥淕reat job everyone, what a weekend,鈥 said Hamilton on team radio immediately after winning at the Marina Bay Street Circuit for the second year running. 鈥淜eep pushing 鈥攚e鈥檝e got this guys.鈥
A unique set of challenges makes the steamy track in the heat and humidity of Singapore鈥檚 tropical climate the toughest physical test of the season. The duration of the race, with each of the 61 laps of the 5.063-kilometer track having 23 bends and 80 gear changes 鈥 more than any other on the F1 calendar 鈥 means that drivers and machinery are worked to breaking point.
鈥淚鈥檓 spent. It felt like the longest race of my life so I鈥檓 glad it鈥檚 over,鈥 said Hamilton. 鈥淢ax put up a great fight as well. But what a day, what a weekend.鈥
Hamilton got the perfect start from pole position as Verstappen was slower away from second on the dirty side of the grid and saw his Red Bull come immediately under pressure from Vettel.
The German four-time world champion used his superior Ferrari power to outdrag Verstappen down Raffles Boulevard and just managed to nip past the Dutchman before the safety car brought a temporary halt to hostilities on the first lap for the third year in succession in Singapore.
It was prompted by a collision between the Force Indias that put Esteban Ocon into the wall and out of the race after a sideswipe from teammate Sergio Perez.
Hamilton controlled the restart four laps later to sprint away more than a second clear of Vettel.
The championship leader had stretched his lead to around three seconds when, on lap 14, Vettel was first to pit for ultrasoft tyres, but it soon looked an ill-judged move as he rejoined behind the slower Force India of Perez.
Hamilton responded immediately and pitted on the next lap, but he crucially opted for the soft compound that had been predicted to last until the end.
Vettel鈥檚 frustration increased as Hamilton rejoined in front and then boiled over as Verstappen jumped him when he too pitted for softs.
There鈥檚 鈥渘o chance鈥 of winning, Vettel moaned over team radio.
鈥淲e were too late again,鈥 he bawled. 鈥淭hese tyres will not make it to the end.鈥
When the last of the front-runners Daniel Ricciardo took on ultrasofts on lap 27, it left the top six back in grid order: Hamilton leading, Verstappen second and Vettel third.
Valtteri Bottas guided his Mercedes to fourth place, Kimi Raikkonen鈥檚 Ferrari came home fifth and Daniel Ricciardo was sixth in the second Red Bull.
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