King Lewis the First!

Lewis Hamilton kept his cool in a chaotic Canadian Grand Prix yesterday to claim his first Formula One victory.

The McLaren sensation, starting only his

sixth race, won from pole position to establish

an outright lead in the championship and continue

his meteoric rise through the sport.

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Hamilton, 22, from the Hertfordshire village

of Tewin, produced a faultless performance

in front of a cheering 150,000-strong sell-out crowd before emotionally

saluting his father Anthony,

who has devoted himself to his

son’s career since he was a boy

karter.

Hamilton said: "I have to

dedicate this win to my dad.

Without him this wouldn’t have

been possible. I could see him

from the podium and I think I

saw him wipe a tear away. He

has done so much to support

me and I know how proud he

will be."

Anthony Hamilton said: "This is

a wonderful moment for the whole family. We are thrilled

by what he’s achieved, but I

knew he would. To hear the

National Anthem playing for

Lewis was fabulous."

Hamilton, who holds an eightpoint

lead over his team-mate

and reigning double world

champion Fernando Alonso,

has finished on the podium in

every race since making his

debut in Melbourne in March.

"This is history," added

Hamilton, the first black driver

to win a Formula One race. "I’m

on a different planet and it’s

difficult to grasp everything. To

come here to Canada for the

first time and win is fantastic.

It’s been a fantastic season

already. I have been ready for

quite some time for the win,

but it’s just been a case of

when and where.

"I was just counting the last few

laps down. I could see the

board. I am the kind of guy to

push until the end but if you

make one mistake you are on

the marbles and in the wall. So

I just wanted to enjoy it."

An incident-filled race saw

BMW’s PoIish driver Robert

Kubica break a leg in an

horrific accident, while

Ferrari’s title contender Felipe

Massa and Renault’s Giancarlo

Fisichella were disqualified for

leaving the pits under a red

light. The safety car was used

four times.

Hamilton, a friend of Kubica’s

since karting, said: "I hope

Robert is OK. I send my regards

to his family."

Hamilton’s win was cheered by

the packed grandstands but

the atmosphere was nothing

compared to how Silverstone

will be on July 8 for the British

Grand Prix.

The scene is sure to echo

Mansell mania, which saw fans

flood the track in 1992.

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LEWIS HAMILTON'S SEASON TO DATE

Mar 18: Australian Grand Prix (Melbourne)- Qual: 4; Pos: 3; Pts: 6

Apr 8: Malaysian Grand Prix (Sepang) - Qual: 4; Pos: 2; Pts: 14

Apr 15: Bahrain Grand Prix (Manama) - Qual: 2; Pos: 2; Pts: 22

May 13: Spanish Grand Prix (Barcelona) - Qual: 4; Pos: 2; Pts: 30

May 27: Monaco Grand Prix (Monte Carlo) - Qual: 2; Pos: 2; Pts: 38

Jun 10: Canadian Grand Prix (Montreal) - Qual: 1; Pos 1; Pts: 48