There is strong mutual respect between three-time F1 champion Hamilton and four-time champion Vettel, and Hamilton gave him a warm handshake after the race. We had a generous dose of overtaking, some wild crashes, wily pit stop games and a last-minute charge by Hamilton (which eventually proved to be futile) that made this race an absolute cracker.
Hamilton admitted post-race he was in the wrong. Poor Hamilton could do nothing but anxiously look towards his left as Vettel's scarlet vehicle streamed by, slotting in ahead.
However, with Vettel extending his advantage in the championship standings, Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff says his team may have to reluctantly do things differently with team orders from now on.
Pole-sitter Valtteri Bottas finished in third position, with Kimi Raikkonen crossing the line in fourth.
The five-second penalty would hang over Hamilton for the rest of the race and hamstrung his chances of mounting a fight back. There is going to be a battle this season, and, it appears, not one for the faint-hearted. "Lewis was a threat towards the end and, with the traffic, you never know", said Vettel, who also won the season-opener in Australia. Ferrari moved to a three-point lead in the manufacturer standings (102-99) over Mercedes.
Bottas was struggling by now, the tyres on his Mercedes overheating.
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Hamilton earned himself a five-second penalty for backing up Daniel Ricciardo - a penalty that cost him dearly, especially since the gap between him and Vettel at the chequered flag was 6.6 seconds.
This mistake ultimately prevented the incoming Red Bull of Daniel Ricciardo from exiting as swiftly as he otherwise would have and the race officials were quick to punish.
Both Mercedes drivers used the safety auto incident to pit for new tires, but Hamilton made the mistake of holding up Ricciardo. But with Vettel in between, there is nothing we could have done.
"It is, of course, hugely satisfying to be back on the top step of the podium", Sergio Marchionne said. Surely Rosberg will consider Hamilton's penalty a retribution of sorts for Abu Dhabi.
Bottas, after stunning everyone, including Hamilton, by clinching pole, went from hero to zero. Especially since Bottas didn't have the pace to win, but perhaps Hamilton did. Fernando Alonso (Spain) McLaren 3 laps r. Marcus Ericsson (Sweden) Sauber - Ferrari 7 laps r. Carlos Sainz Jr (Spain) Toro Rosso - Renault 45 laps r. Lance Stroll (Canada) Williams-Mercedes 45 laps r. Max Verstappen (Netherlands) Red Bull - TAG Heuer 46 laps r. Kevin Magnussen (Denmark) Haas - Ferrari 48 laps r. Stoffel Vandoorne (Belgium) McLaren 57 laps (rank: r = retired, nc = not classified) Fastest Lap: Lewis Hamilton, 1:32.798, lap 46. Honestly, it was a bit unusual watching Formula 1 without Verstappen on the grid. After rising from his 20th-place starting spot to 15th, Magnussen's race ended after eight laps when an electronics issue cut his car's power supply, forcing him to pull off at turn eight.
A disillusioned Hamilton sat with fellow podium finishers Vettel and Bottas, his head bowed.
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