Vettel extends championship lead with easy Canada win

Sebastian Vettel (right) of Red Bull Racing celebrates with second placed Fernando Alonso (left) of Ferrari following the Canadian Formula One Grand Prix at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 9, 2013 in Montreal, Canada. (Getty Images)

Sebastian Vettel stretched his Formula 1 championship lead to 36 points with a crushing victory in the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal.

Vettel got a good start from pole position and was able to establish a lead of two seconds on the opening lap before disappearing in to the distance. Fernando Alonso took second place away from Lewis Hamilton late on after a strong drive, but he still dropped 36 points behind Vettel in the championship driving.

Hamilton came home third having looked comfortable in second place for most of the race, but ultimately losing out to Alonso in the final stint and ending the race 1.5s behind the Ferrari.

Mark Webber’s race was compromised by Giedo van der Garde turning in on the Red Bull as he attempted to lap at the hairpin, with Webber’s front wing receiving damage, limiting him to fourth place. However, he still managed to set the fastest lap ahead of his teammate.

Kimi Raikkonen’s championship hopes took another blow as he laboured to ninth place – losing out to Felipe Massa on the penultimate lap.

In the first half of the race he joined a battle for third with Nico Rosberg and Mark Webber, having passed qualifying hero Valtteri Bottas early on. The Williams had dropped from third to fifth behind the Mercedes and Red Bull off the line.

Rosberg could not keep his tyres alive as well as those pressuring him. After some very close calls, Webber got ahead on lap 30, with Alonso following on the next straight.

Webber then seemed able to keep Alonso at bay until Giedo van der Garde turned in on him while being lapped, taking a chunk from the Red Bull’s front wing.

Unsurprisingly its pace slowed and Alonso overtook Webber then set off after second-placed Hamilton.

Another long and close tussle ensued, and the pair spent much of lap 63 side by side before Alonso made it ahead.

Hamilton stayed within DRS range and tried to retaliate on the next lap, but the move failed and he had to settle for third ahead of Webber and Rosberg.

Jean-Eric Vergne drove a strong race to a career-best sixth for Toro Rosso, dropping away from the lead quintet while keeping the rest of the field covered.

Paul di Resta converted 17th on the grid to seventh, not making a pit-stop until lap 57.

His Force India teammate Adrian Sutil survived a spin while trying to pass Bottas, a punt from Pastor Maldonado, and a penalty for ignoring blue flags to take 10th.

The Force Indias were split by the battling Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen.

McLaren simply did not have the pace to score, as Sergio Perez and Jenson Button struggled to 11th and 12th.

Romain Grosjean also tried a one-stop but ultimately had to pit again, dropping him from potential points to 13th.

Bottas slumped to 14th, leaving Williams still without points this season.