Race Notes - Hamilton wins from pole

By Mark Karp

Lewis Hamilton won the French Grand Prix at Paul Ricard in his Mercedes GP after starting from pole positon.

Max Verstappen in the Red Bull-Renault was second 7.0 seconds behind, and Kimi Raikkonen in the Ferrari was third, 25.8 seconds behind the winner

Hamilton has now won on 26 different circuits in F1. It is Hamilton’s 33rd consecutive points scoring finish.

Daniel Ricciardo (34.7s) in the Red Bull was fourth, followed by Sebastian Vettel (after first lap damage) (61,9s) in the Ferrari was fifth, Kevin Magnussen (79.3s) in the Haas-Ferrari finished in sixth, Valtteri Bottas (80.6s) in the second Mercedes was seventh, Carlos Sainz (87.1s) in the Renault was eighth, his team mate Nico Hulkenberg (91.9s) was ninth, and Charles Leclerc (93.8s) in the Sauber-Ferrari finished in the final points position.

Before the race, it is an all-Mercedes front row with Hamilton on pole with Bottas alongside. Vettel and Verstappen make up row two, Ricciardo and Raikkonen on row three, Sainz and Leclerc on row four, and Magnussen and Grosjean rounding out the top ten drivers.

The two Mercedes and two Red Bulls starting on supersoft tyes, while the two Ferraris starting on ultrasoft tyres and a mix of different tyres down the grid.

At the appointed time the grid cleared, and the drivers took to the formation lap, the lights went out and the race began with Hamilton taking the lead, Bottas and Vettl colliding in the first corrner, Bottas spinning. Gasly crashes with Ocon. Bottas limos back to the pits. The safety car is out. A number of cars pit, Vettel changes his front wing.

Behind the safety car Hamilton leads Verstappen, Sainz, Ricciardo, Magnussen, Leclerc, Raikkonen, Grosjean, Perez, and Hulkenberg in tenth.

At the start of lap 6 the race was restarted, with Hamilton still in the lead, with Verstappen and Sainz following.

Alonso spins, but continues.

Leclerc is pressuring Magnussen for fifth.

On lap 7 Hamilton sets fast lap at 1m37.454s.

On lap 8 Vettel passes Ericsson for 12th place,

On lap 8 Hamilton sets fast lap at 1m36.933s.

Ricciardo passes Sainz for third place.

Vettel is given a 5-second penalty for causing the collision in the first corner.

At lap 10 Hamilton leads Verstappen by 2.6s, followed by Ricciardo (7.8s), Raikkonen (10.4s), Sainz (12.5s), Magnussen (15.2s), Leclerc (17.4s), Grosjean (19.6s), Perez (21.2s) and Vettel (21.7s) in tenth place.

On lap 14 Vettel passes Hulkenberg for ninth place, then Grosjean for eighth.

Bottas passes Perez for 11th place.

On lap 17 Hulkenberg passes Grosjean for ninth.

Raikkonen sets fast lap at1m36,769s. Then Hamilton sets fast lap at 1m36.637s.

Vettel passes Leclerc for seventh place, then passes Magnussen for sixth place.

On lap 18 Hamilton sets another fast lap at 1m36.478s, and again at 1m36.367s.

On lap 20 Vettel passes Sainz for fifth place.

Bottas passes Grosjean for tenth place.

At lap 20 Hamilton leads Verstappen by 5.3s followed by Ricciardo (8.5s), Raikkonen (12.9s), Vettel (30.8s), Sainz (35.3s), Magnussen (37.8s), Leclerc (38.2s), Hulkenberg (41.1s) and Bottas (44.5s) in tenth place.

On lap 23 Hamilton sets fast lap at 1m36.375s.

Leclerc is looking for a way past Magnussen for seventh.

On lap 24 Hamilton sets fast lap at 1m36.176s.

Leclerc goes wide and Hulkenberg gets by for eighth.

On lap 26 Verstappen pits and switches to soft tyres and rejoins in fouth place.

Hamilton sets another fast lap at 1m35.663s.

On lap 28 Sainz pits for soft tyres and rejoins in 14th.

On lap 29 Bottas passes Leclerc.

Ricciardo pits for soft tyres and rejoins in fifth place.

Perez pulls into the pits with a engine problem.

At lap 30 Hamilton leads Raikkonen by 19.3s, followed by Verstappen (31.6s), Vettel (35.9s), Ricciardo (37.9s), Hulkenberg (57.6s), Bottas (60.2s), Leclerc (65.4s), Grosjean (68.5s) and Vandoorne (75.3s) in tenth place.

Verstappen reports to the team that he has a tyre vibration.

On lap 32 Leclerc pits for supersoft tyres and rejoins

Verstappen sets fast lap at 1m35.599s.

On lap 34 Hamilton pits from the lead for soft tyres and rejoins in second, Raikkonen, yet to pit, leads.

Ricciardo is closing on Vettel and takes him for third place.

On lap 34 Raikkonen pits for supersoft tyres and rejoins in fifth.

Hamilton sets fast lap at 1m35.348s.

The next lap Raikkonen sets fast lap at 1m34.810s.

Sainz passes Vandoorne for eighth place.

Hulkenberg pits for supersoft tyres.

On lap 40 Bottas pits and has a slow stop.

Vettel pits for ultrasott tyres, takes his five-second penalty and rejoins in fifth.

Raikkonen sets fast lap at 1m34.594s.

On lap 42 Bottas sets fast lap.

At lap 45 Hamilton leads Verstappen by 5.2s followed by Ricciardo (21.2s), Raikkonen (22.0s), Vettel (54.5s), Sainz (68.6s), Magnussen (72,6s), Bottas (74.1s), Hulkenberg (83.1s) and Leclerc (85.5s) in tenth place.

Raikkonen is closing on Ricciardo in third place.

On lap 47 Raikkonen passes Ricciardo for third place.

On lap 50 Magnussen and Bottas pass Sainz for sixth.

On lap 51 Stroll has a blown tyre and goes off in the Williams. The virtual safety car is out while the track is cleared.

The race ends with double yellow flags with Hamilton ahead of Verstappen and Raikkonen.