Hamilton 7th winner in 7 races

MONTREAL – The Formula One winners’ club keeps getting bigger in an unprecedented season that has had seven different winners in the first seven races.

Lewis Hamilton thinks he is seeing the sport’s future.

“I think this mix-up is normal. I think this is going to be normal for this season,” he said after winning the Canadian Grand Prix for the third time. “I think it’s great for Formula One. It’s great for fans today.”

Hamilton drove his McLaren Mercedes to a win in 1 hour, 32 minutes, 29.586 seconds Sunday, taking advantage of fresh tires he picked up during a second pit stop while the other contenders only made one. Hamilton finished 2.5 seconds ahead of Lotus’ Romain Grosjean, with Sauber’s Sergio Perez in third.

“I had so much traction with fresh tires,” said Hamilton, who earned his first Formula One victory here in 2007 and won again in ’10. “I wasn’t able to do it a one-stop. I think I would have fallen farther back, as they did. I think a two-stop was just right.”

Defending Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull was fourth and Fernando Alonso, who won in Malaysia and entered the weekend atop the standings, was fifth.

Last year, Vettel won five of the first six races and was in control at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve before a last-lap skid in the rain allowed Jenson Button, Hamilton’s teammate, to pass him for the victory. Vettel went on to win 11 races and the Formula One title in 2011.

But this year’s championship has been upended weekly: Never before had there been even six different winners to start the season. Hamilton made it seven on Sunday, taking a two-point lead in the standings, 88-86 over Alonso, of Ferrari.

“We’ve got a win and 25 points, but we’ve only got a two-point lead,” Hamilton said. “It’s incredible how close it is. I think it will stay that close throughout the year.”

A year after the longest race in Formula One history – a rain-delayed affair that lasted more than four hours – there was no appearance from the safety car. Hamilton, who dropped from first to third when he made his second pit stop in the 50th lap, ran his fastest in Lap 59, then passed pole-sitter Vettel in Lap 62 and Alonso two laps later to take the lead.

Grosjean and Perez stayed with him, but they were unable to close the gap with their well-worn tires.

“We went aggressive,” said Perez, who finished second in Malaysia on March 25. “It’s a great boost for the team. Every podium is special, especially when it’s only your second podium in Formula One.”

Grosjean had said the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve was his favorite track – even though he did not race in Montreal in 2009, his previous Formula One season.