Lewis Hamilton: Long way to go, says Brit after regaining championship lead at French GP postact

The four-time champion led from the start of the race, capitalizing on a collision between his teammate Valtteri Bottas and Sebastian Vettel that ultimately saw his Ferrari rival finish fifth and concede a 14-point lead at the top of the standings after eight races.

'I feel very grateful for a solid weekend,' said Hamilton after his victory at the Circuit Paul Ricard, the first French GP in 10 years.

'My guys [Mercedes], I've been with them for six years and they are just continuously pushing the boundaries and never giving up, so I'm just forever grateful for all their work, here at the track and back at the factory.



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'But there's a long way to go and we'll keep approaching the rest of the season like we approached today.''

READ: Lewis Hamilton wins in France

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Victory in the south of France was the third of the season for the Mercedes driver, who has won the championship in three of the last four years. It will come as a relief after a mixed start to the year and a disappointing race in Canada a fortnight ago.

Hamilton, who held off Red Bull's Max Verstappen throughout the race, profited thanks to a five-second penalty handed out to Vettel and Bottas that saw the pair relegated to the back of the grid at the start of the race.

'I think my start was good, perhaps even too good,' said Vettel, who suffered his worst result since the Chinese GP in April.

'I found myself very close to Lewis in front and, when I tried to brake, I had absolutely no grip and there wasn't much space where I could go.

'Fortunately, we could continue racing. We had a good car in the race, but the outcome was not what we wanted. It was my fault, but now let's move on and think about the next weekend.''

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The upcoming weeks see a busy period in the F1 calendar which could prove crucial in deciding the destination of the championship.

It's set to be F1's first ever triple header as the drivers compete in this weekend's Austrian GP before heading to Silverstone for the British GP.

'My guys [Mercedes], I've been with them for six years and they are just continuously pushing the boundaries and never giving up, so I'm just forever grateful for all their work, here at the track and back at the factory. The upcoming weeks see a busy period in the F1 calendar which could prove crucial in deciding the destination of the championship. 'I think my start was good, perhaps even too good,' said Vettel, who suffered his worst result since the Chinese GP in April. READ: Saudi woman fulfills lifelong dream to drive in F1 Visit cnn.com/motorsport for more news and videos 'But there's a long way to go and we'll keep approaching the rest of the season like we approached today.'' The upcoming weeks see a busy period in the F1 calendar which could prove crucial in deciding the destination of the championship. 'Fortunately, we could continue racing. We had a good car in the race, but the outcome was not what we wanted. It was my fault, but now let's move on and think about the next weekend.'' 'I found myself very close to Lewis in front and, when I tried to brake, I had absolutely no grip and there wasn't much space where I could go. Hamilton, who held off Red Bull's Max Verstappen throughout the race, profited thanks to a five-second penalty handed out to Vettel and Bottas that saw the pair relegated to the back of the grid at the start of the race. READ: Saudi woman fulfills lifelong dream to drive in F1 'I found myself very close to Lewis in front and, when I tried to brake, I had absolutely no grip and there wasn't much space where I could go. Hamilton, who held off Red Bull's Max Verstappen throughout the race, profited thanks to a five-second penalty handed out to Vettel and Bottas that saw the pair relegated to the back of the grid at the start of the race. 'But there's a long way to go and we'll keep approaching the rest of the season like we approached today.'' READ: Saudi woman fulfills lifelong dream to drive in F1 'I feel very grateful for a solid weekend,' said Hamilton after his victory at the Circuit Paul Ricard, the first French GP in 10 years. 'I think my start was good, perhaps even too good,' said Vettel, who suffered his worst result since the Chinese GP in April. 'My guys [Mercedes], I've been with them for six years and they are just continuously pushing the boundaries and never giving up, so I'm just forever grateful for all their work, here at the track and back at the factory. 'I feel very grateful for a solid weekend,' said Hamilton after his victory at the Circuit Paul Ricard, the first French GP in 10 years. It's set to be F1's first ever triple header as the drivers compete in this weekend's Austrian GP before heading to Silverstone for the British GP.

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