IT was crunch time in Canada for Lewis Hamilton. The McLaren ace threw away his race and championship lead during an action-packed event that saw Polish star Robert Kubica score his first victory and leapfrog to the top of the title table.
Kubica’s team-mate Nick Heidfeld completed a perfect day for BMW Sauber by bringing the sister car home in second, just ahead of Red Bull’s David Coulthard.
However, Hamilton will be ruing his misfortune. The young Brit was comfortably leading the race when a safety car period saw the front-runners head for the pits.
But a slow stop meant he exited behind Kubica and Kimi Raikkonen. And when he rejoined, Hamilton smashed into the back of Raikkonen’s Ferrari, as the Finn was stopped at the end of the pits waiting for the all-clear.
Afterwards Lewis seem unconcerned by the error. “I saw the red light, but it was too late to stop,” he said. “I don’t think it’s a racing incident, just unfortunate.”
The elimination of Hamilton and Raikkonen meant Kubica headed for the flag unchallenged. Former champion Fernando Alonso crashed out while in third, which promoted Coulthard and also allowed Timo Glock to bring his Toyota home fourth. Ferrari’s Felipe Massa was a frustrated fifth following a pitstop mix-up.
There were no such problems for Kubica, who dominated the rest of the event. Speaking after the race, he said: “It is fantastic to get my first victory. The goal for BMW Sauber was to win a grand prix this year, and I am proud to have achieved that.”