Hamilton takes F1 Spain trophy

Lewis Hamilton took his fourth straight victory for Mercedes yesterday (Sunday) and moved into a three-point championship lead over team mate Nico Rosberg.

The Brit managed to keep ahead of German Rosberg in what proved to be a thrilling race which centred on the Mercedes drivers.

The race was comparable to Bahrain, where the pair staged another spectacular duel, as their fight developed into a battle of strategies.

After Hamilton kept the lead in the first stints, Rosberg changed to hard Pirelli tyres while Hamilton opted for a set of mediums.

Rosberg successfully kept up with the Brit driver, using the hard tyres to great effect and setting up the dramatic finale to the 66-lap race.

Rosberg relentlessly tried to keep pace with Hamilton, but in the end his hopes of a win began to fade as Hamilton gained ground between his main competitor.

To the relief of the Mercedes crew, including boss Dieter Zetsche, both of the Silvers Arrows made it across the finish line intact.

They were separated by six-tenths of a second, making the victory their fourth consecutive one-two finish.

Daniel Ricciardo took third place with Red Bull, with the final podium slot, being 49s behind Hamilton’s finish time. 

The win means that Hamilton now has 100 points to Rosberg’s 97. Spain’s Ferrari driver Alonso has 49 points.

After the race Hamilton said: “Nico was quicker this weekend, but fortunately I was able to keep him behind.

“I struggled to keep him behind and was grateful I was able to. I have to find out where I am losing the time and apply it to the next race. By no means is it easy for me, I still have a massive challenge from Nico.

“But I could never imagine these four race wins. It is still so close, there is a long, long way to go and I have a bit more time to find in this car.”