Hamilton takes first Driver of the Weekend win of 2017

2017 Canadian Grand Prix Driver of the Weekend result

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Lewis Hamilton topped the Driver of the Weekend poll for the 22nd time after winning the Canadian Grand Prix.

Since Driver of the Weekend began in 2011 no driver has won it more times than Hamilton. Here’s what F1 Fanatic readers made of his latest race and poll victory.

Lewis Hamilton’s Canadian Grand Prix weekend

Hamilton’s devastating performance in qualifying was down to more than just Mercedes turning their engines up. He kept something in reserve, too: his pole position lap time was a full second quicker than he’d gone in Q2.

A clean start meant his race was fairly straightforward, other than having to brush off an attack from Max Verstappen at the restart. He easily had the pace to put a comfortable gap over his team mate, and from there on he was able to save his engine for another day.

Lewis Hamilton is the logical choice for me. Absolute beast this weekend. Already one of the best qualifying laps I’ve seen, killing Bottas by seven tenths, a margin you don’t except at the top between two top drivers, but Hamilton is something special at his peak. He’s not always at his 100%, but when he is there’s nobody on the grid close to him. Perfect race too, his pace was amazing.
@Francorchamps17

Yes he was out front the whole time and didn’t ever have to get his elbows out the way Seb did, Hamilton was on absolutely blinding form this weekend. Near-perfect pole lap, wins the race at a canter, leads every lap and scores fastest lap. Grand Chelem. Top stuff. Vettel’s recovery drive was brilliant and Ocon drove his socks off, but Lewis owned the entire weekend. And that’s coming from someone who isn’t a Hamilton fan.
Lewis McMurray (@Celicadion23)

Hamilton was sensational this weekend in both qualifying and the race, absolutely inspired driving. Nobody comes close although I felt Vettel had a good one and Hulkenberg was very unlucky with a slow pit-stop otherwise he could be near the front scrap and the Force India pair were good.
Kavin Kannan (@Lolzerbob)

Canadian Grand Prix winners and losers

Sebastian Vettel earned plaudits for his recovery to fourth having fallen to the back of the field during the Safety Car period.

It was a good day for the rookies too. Esteban Ocon did a solid job on his first visit to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and arguably deserved more than sixth place. And Lance Stroll became an F1 points-scorer in front of his home crowd.

Vettel for an amazing drive having to recover from something that was not his fault. He pushed that Ferrari past its limit all weekend. Took risks that paid off.
Andre Furtado

I went with Ocon, simply because he didn’t drive like it was his first time around the track. Traded blows with his much more experienced team-mate in qualy but marginally lost out, and was potentially even faster on raceday. Very impressed.
Aaditya (@Neutronstar)

I voted for Lance Stroll simply because as a true rookie at his first F1 home race I am sure he felt an amazing amount of pressure to not screw up in front on family, friends and fellow Canadians. He surpassed his previous races by scoring his first point.
@Racernorriski

Lewis Hamilton’s Driver of the Weekend wins from 2011 to date

Lewis Hamilton has won more Driver of the Weekend polls than any driver since F1 Fanatic began them at the beginning of 2011. This weekend was his 22nd time his topped the poll, but his last win had been 12 months ago:

Driver of the weekend: The Twitter verdict

Hamilton earned much praise for his victory but Vettel and Stroll’s results also won admirers. Opinions were split as to whether Force India’s drivers were at fault.

https://twitter.com/Midas__Mulligan/status/874018792690524160


https://twitter.com/YSLnyce/status/873968565778620416


https://twitter.com/lawnmoaman/status/873971915500568577


https://twitter.com/SunnyWyrich97/status/873975445502525442
https://twitter.com/AdamW95/status/873975333049044992


https://twitter.com/Loo7ichi/status/873985587572813824


https://twitter.com/KevMitchellLive/status/873989310462218240


https://twitter.com/JANonF1/status/873989147236683776
https://twitter.com/Fortuneachonna/status/873989114823094277


https://twitter.com/JuventusCrazy/status/873989082862338048


https://twitter.com/IfvksWithBatman/status/873995520263561216
https://twitter.com/lancastrianboy/status/873994517455790080


https://twitter.com/CatelynnJ20/status/874014616883531776
https://twitter.com/jmorerod2004/status/874013882926419968
https://twitter.com/AMoreSimpleMind/status/874012799571288064
https://twitter.com/bocatatun6/status/874030692891602944

2017 Canadian Grand Prix

Browse all 2017 Canadian Grand Prix articles

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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43 comments on “Hamilton takes first Driver of the Weekend win of 2017”

  1. nelson piquet
    19th June 2017, 12:10

    vettel deserved it more after ionlycrashintoferrarisstappen ruined his race

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      Redi (@redi)
      19th June 2017, 12:39

      While it would be interesting to see if Vettel actually had Hamilton’s pace in the race, the rest of the weekend went Hamilton’s way. That fastest lap on old supersofts(faster than vettel with new Ultras; ok he had some floor damage) showed Hamilton had tons of pace in the race and could have fended off a Vettel who had a bad start. If we assume he was 4th with no damage, Vettel’s bid for the win was nearly over from the start and that was due to his own qualifying and start(part of the weekend). From 4th he would have got to 3rd from Verstappen retiring and then he would have to pass Bottas to get to Hamilton which seemed unlikely (Bottas was able to keep him behind in Sochi the whole race and in Bahrain for the 1st stint). While Vettel’s recovery to 4th was spectacular and he put on some great moves, it was also somewhat inherited due to others having some bad luck. Massa(would have been there with the force indias), Verstappen and Raikkonen(no need to put tinfoil hats) all had mechanical issues and Vettel was gifted those 3 places. The 2 Force Indias didn’t even try to defend as a team, instead they were squabbling with each other which gave Vettel the opportunity to get within .3 sec of Ocon in a straight. These 5 places got him from 9th to 4th. A recovery to 9th wouldn’t be that impressive. This is not to say that Vettel didn’t drive well all weekend, I’m just pointing that it wasn’t a “great” recovery for Vettel’s standards (Silverstone 2010, Abu Dhabi 2012 and Brazil 2012 come to mind). Even if it was, Hamilton was probably faster and a bit more faultless all weekend long.

      P.s Vettel said himself he wasn’t upset about Vertappen’s move on him, but it’s actually interesting that Verstappen’s last few crashes have been with Ferrari’s though.

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        Arad (@just-an-fan)
        19th June 2017, 12:45

        Yeah, only if Merc can burn oil for w few laps to show that they had the race pace! The average laptimes don’t show any significant difference despite the damages done to Seb’s ferrari.

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          Redi (@redi)
          19th June 2017, 12:57

          They didn’t really need to show their hand, did they? Both drivers admitted they were on cruise mode until Hamilton was requested to post a fast lap by the team.

          1. Fran
            19th June 2017, 13:47

            Driver of the weekend award for driving round in cruise mode seems generous to me

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            petebaldwin (@)
            19th June 2017, 14:03

            I agree Fran. I rarely give the race winner DOTW unless they have had to work for their win. Turning the engine down and cruising around in front in the fastest car doesn’t warrant a DOTW win for me.

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            Redi (@redi)
            19th June 2017, 16:28

            Well that’s why he didn’t win driver of the Race. He won driver of the weekend. He had to work hard to put himself in that position for the race. He also didn’t have the best car as Ferrari was right there.
            @petebaldwin I don’t know about you but just because a driver didn’t have to give his all in the race, it does not mean that he wasn’t the best driver in that weekend(fastest, least mistakes, etc). I wouldn’t view this vote as a measure of who performed at the best level they are capable of or who gave the best show(although it is easy to focused on these points), instead I would vote for the driver was outright fastest, did less mistakes and/or did the best overtakes over the weekend. If this was a measure of how hard a driver had to work during the race, than I would be surprised how Hamilton didn’t win while he was literally gasping in Spain this year.
            A lot of people voted for Stroll who qualified nearly a second behind his team mate. I don’t think anyone actually believed he did a better job than Hamilton, Vettel, Bottas, Alonso, Verstappen and co, but he achieved something I guess. Should we really vote like this while the top drivers do a better job but don’t really have anyone(or any reason) to push them come race day ?
            While I agree Vettel was second only to Hamilton when taking practice and quali into consideration, him losing out at the start was a situation Vettel put himself in. Had Seb taken pole/had a better start/ avoid contact at turn 1/ recognize the damage during the SC and get a free stop he wouldn’t be in that spot during the race. Sure, it wasn’t purely his fault as some bad luck was involved, but the driver who did a better job and didn’t put himself in that position(and was faster over 1 lap) was clearly the better driver that weekend. Third in the poll, Ocon, didn’t even beat his teammate. In the end of the day Hamilton put the car where it should have been or higher throughout the weekend while Vettel was unfortunate not to do the same(the Ferrari looked like it could challenge for P1). The only 2 other drivers that did the same this weekend were Alonso and Verstappen. Both beat their teammates in qualy, had more pace than those teammates and were outperforming the car until they were let down by the car. Just the fact that these 2 didn’t even get 5% of the vote while Lance ****** Stroll got 5% shows how ridiculous it is. You don’t have to be spectacular or inspiring to win DOTW, you just have to be the fastest and flawless over that weekend.

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            Ju88sy (@)
            19th June 2017, 19:43

            In this case the balance for DOTW resides for the qualifying performance. I would generally agree as well to not voting for the winner, in this case Hamilton’s pole lap was so ridiculous it pulled the votes, coupled with the large gap to Bottas at the end of the race it was the recognition of a flawless weekend that is good for the WDC.

        2. nase
          19th June 2017, 13:06

          @just-an-fan

          only if Merc can burn oil for w few laps

          For all we know, this could be a mere myth.

          1. grat
            19th June 2017, 16:15

            It’s almost a total myth. When the Mercs first pull out of the garage, you can usually see a puff or two of smoke as excess oil gets burned– but after that, the exhaust is pretty darned clean, and oil doesn’t combust that cleanly as a rule.

            Mercedes doesn’t burn oil– every ICE (engine) is allowed X number of laps in Ludicrous Mode(tm), Y number of laps in Aggressive Mode, and the rest of it’s life is spent in normal mode. That’s why the team was so annoyed with Lewis and Nico in 2014 for turning up the engine power when they weren’t supposed to– it potentially shortened the life of the ICE.

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          Ed Marques (@edmarques)
          19th June 2017, 18:03

          Again with this?
          Pathetic.

          1. Fran
            20th June 2017, 9:04

            Why have the rule makers outlawed this practice for next season, just in case somebody wants to or because it is happening and it doesn’t break any current regulations?

    2. nase
      19th June 2017, 13:03

      Nonsense. That was a racing incident in its purest form.
      Vettel sort of dropped the ball at the start, which contributed to the accident, as it lead to a situation in which three cars tried to squeeze into a corner that is hardly wide enough for two cars.
      Things like that can happen, and it’s not like he made a huge mistake. But on the other hand, it’s not like a conspiracy of evil cost him a chance of finishing 2nd or higher.

      I think there wouldn’t be a lot of talk about Vettel being DotW if he hadn’t had to fight his way back to the front. He probably wouldn’t have stood a chance against Hamilton’s pace, so the accident might made his race look more competitive than it would’ve been under normal circumstances.

      This is not to diminish his efforts, his uncompromising moves on Ocon and Pérez deserve praise, as well as the fact that he once again managed to make his team mate look like an amateur by beating him despite suffering a major setback early in the race (yes, Räikkönen was hampered by BBW issues in the final laps, but I don’t think it really matters, as Vettel was just 3 seconds behind Räikkönen when the problem arose, and lapping faster on fresher tyres).
      But the question is: How much of that is due to Vettel’s class, and how much is due to Räikkönen underperforming?

      tl;dr:
      Hamilton deserved DoTW, as his weekend was absolutely flawless. The lack of challenge wasn’t his fault, it was the result of his pace.

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        Robbie (@robbie)
        19th June 2017, 13:35

        @nase For the most part I agree with what you are saying overall, but I don’t think SV sort of dropped the ball. I think it just looks like that because of Max’s rocket start. I really don’t think SV could have done anything better, without the use of hindsight of course. This to me was racing at it’s purest by some great racers. LH’s start was fine, VB’s too and he tried to go inside to assert himself, SV’s start was fine too and as he tried to deal with the two Mercs he could not have predicted Max sweeping around the outside as he brilliantly did. Max stepping on SV’s wing was not intentional and was purely a result of the close racing we are crying for. We can’t ask for anything more than the type of start we saw imho, even if things shook out to be a runaway for LH as a result. Max should have been more of a factor, not that I think he could have kept up with LH, and after that amazing start no wonder he was so disappointed to lose such a great opportunity in what should be a 5th at best car on average. But at least he showed us a glimpse of his future once again.

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          Patrickl (@patrickl)
          20th June 2017, 21:01

          @robbie, It wasn;t just Verstappen, but Bottas also ended up next to Vettel. So the two guys behind him had a better start and the resulting “sandwich” lost him the race already at the first corner.

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      sethje (@seth-space)
      19th June 2017, 21:14

      Maybe first look at this before you inveted names.

      https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/features/2017/6/video–the-best-onboard-action-from-canada.html#

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      Jorge Lardone (@jorge-lardone)
      19th June 2017, 21:23

      +1

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      Jon (@johns23)
      20th June 2017, 7:58

      No one was ever getting close to Hamilton in Canada. He had it in the bag from qualy. Just one of those weekends where he’s untouchable

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    Fukobayashi (@)
    19th June 2017, 12:13

    Perez put a future potential Ferrari drive ahead of the team that he drives for now. He failed to defend against Vettel whatsoever so I 100% agree with the flak he has received.

  3. Sundar Srinivas Harish
    19th June 2017, 12:14

    The man was absolutely sublime. The fact that he had close to no screen time on race day speaks for itself – but a shoutout to Vettel and Ocon for their blisteringly good performances, and Sainz for the entertainment value.

  4. Jay
    19th June 2017, 12:35

    If Hamilton didn’t win the poll would have ZERO credibility. He simply dominated with a record breaking performance.

    1. Fran
      19th June 2017, 13:51

      lol

    2. Fireblade
      19th June 2017, 16:29

      Vettel has had equally dominating weekends and not won DOTW. For instance, he scored a Grand Chelem in Japan in 2012 where he was runner-up in the DOTW.

      1. Jay
        19th June 2017, 22:11

        Lewis moved to 2nd all time in poles (received Senna helmet) which makes his weekend even more special. To deny him this silly poll would have been foolish. Vettel did nothing special this weekend. Sorry

        1. Fireblade
          19th June 2017, 22:40

          Oh, well, if he received a Senna helmet, that’s different.

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    Arad (@just-an-fan)
    19th June 2017, 12:50

    I would have loved to see if Lulu could produce a better result had him start from the back and run with damaged car. Looking back at other races (i.e. Monaco) I don’t think he could get into top five, let alone fighting for podium. Ok ok Hamilton the driver of the weekend, and the next weekends….now “leave me alone”

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      Redi (@redi)
      19th June 2017, 13:05

      @just-an-fan Have you seen Hungary 2014? Plus a dry Monaco with a boring 1 stop is a bit of a difficult place for a good recovery. Alonso finished 6th in 2010 with a super long stint which surprised a lot of people.
      Plus, the reason for having a qualifying session is that you don’t have to come from the back. The only reason for having to do that is if you mess up, get bad luck or both. If you have a faultless weekend it should be acknowledged.

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        Arad (@just-an-fan)
        19th June 2017, 13:10

        Yes, I’ll be happy with whatever that makes Lewis’s fans happy!

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          petebaldwin (@)
          19th June 2017, 15:47

          Cool. So I’ll put you down as a Hamilton fan then yeah?

        2. Drg
          20th June 2017, 9:51

          @Arad
          Strange statement regarding LH.

          He holds the record for the most successful drives from the rear of the grid and getting onto the podium, damaged car or not.

          And no they were not all in the Mercedes.

          Some people see what they want to see I guess

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      John H (@john-h)
      19th June 2017, 13:48

      Are you seriously saying that a recovery drive at Montreal should be judged in the the same way as one at Monaco?

      I believe most would disagree!

      1. Baron
        19th June 2017, 21:19

        Of course not. But there’s definitely a difference in attitude. Vettel just went on with it after he dropped to last place whereas Hamilton said he’d rather park the car and save the engine.

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          Aaditya (@neutronstar)
          20th June 2017, 3:54

          There’s a difference in track layout as well. If Hamilton just “went on with it” in Monaco, he would likely have taken Sainz to a not so pleasant trip into the barriers. :p Anyway, he decided to stop trying towards the very end, after being stuck behind for at least 20-25 laps.

          For Vettel, there was a greater chance of risks paying off at a track like Montreal, and he made good use of it with a great drive. But, in all honesty there’s no basis for such a direct comparison between the two recovery drives as @just-an-fan has made.

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          Aaditya (@neutronstar)
          20th June 2017, 4:05

          I just checked the race classification for Monaco. Hamilton actually finished 3.8 seconds behind Sainz. I suppose he should have at least tried to stay within striking distance in case Sainz made a mistake.

  6. kanan
    19th June 2017, 14:10

    Yea ok lol. Hilarious that out of all the weekends this is the one he won.

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    Scuderia-Racing-Or-Ping-Pong (@)
    19th June 2017, 14:51

    Hamilton was absolutely immortal.

  8. dbHenry
    19th June 2017, 15:54

    A deserved DOTW for Hamilton, especially after the performance at the previous race.

    I wonder if Mercedes have been working 24/7 on the Bottas setup now before the Baku race.

    1. Baron
      19th June 2017, 21:24

      Why would they? Hamilton is the clear #1 at Mercedes. Bottas only job is to get in between Hamilton and the rest. Only when Hamilton messes up qualifying again will Bottas suddenly show race winning speed.

      1. dbHenry
        20th June 2017, 16:06

        Well, I think that if you say Bottas’ only job is to get between Hamilton and the rest, he will need to be able to get his car into that position. Maybe work on his setup? I’m not wearing HAM blinders, just making an observation.

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    Kaikarden (@kaikarden)
    19th June 2017, 18:58

    Not a Hamilton fan but he certainly deserved the DOTW win. Achieving a Grand Slam and not winning it would have been a joke.

    1. Fireblade
      19th June 2017, 19:23

      Vettel had a Grand Slam in Japan in 2012 and did not win DOTW.

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    ThisNoNameID2 (@patienceandtime)
    20th June 2017, 7:49

    Germany for me was the most EPIC race he won beating the faster RBR. Vettel was trash starting from the middle of the pack.
    https://youtu.be/-acsKszvYOo

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    Evil Homer (@)
    21st June 2017, 15:14

    Lewis’ race drive was fine and no issues- but his pole lap was one of the best I have ever seen!!
    He hit every apex spot on and was great. DOTW easy.

    Lance Stroll was great! So many people have said he isn’t F1 standard, (I am not so innocent here) and yes he throttled down when we was overtaking Stoff, but thats ok, he lived another day. Very happy for the lad!! :)

    Seb – only can lead from the front in a Newey car apparently!! GREAT drive.

    Danny Ric- This was one of the best defensive drives I have seen for a while (not unlike Max in Spain last year really). He had a slower car but didn’t put a wheel wrong- drives like that may see Daniel a WDC against drivers whom have more talent in the future – a cool head :)

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