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Hamilton storms to Championship lead

A vintage Hamilton kept up the pressure in Canada to win

Back-to-back victories for McLaren star Lewis Hamilton means he now holds a three-point cushion over team-mate Jenson Button as the Woking marque finished one-two for the second consecutive race.

Hamilton held the lead on three separate occasions around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in the Canadian Grand Prix before finally taking it for good on lap 50, going onto to clinch his second triumph here in three attempts.

It became of case of tyre management and who could make their sets of Bridgestone softs and hards last the longest as degradation proved to be far higher than anybody anticipated.

It was enthralling stuff, providing one of the most dramatic races of the year as the lead constantly changed hands, and with no clear idea as to who would emerge the winner until the closing stages.

After his 14th career win, and taking the applause and cheers of the crowd, Hamilton said: “It’s been a tremendous weekend. “Things have just gone so well. I’ve had incredible support, so many Brits in the crowd, which is great to see. The race was one of the tightest so far, but the team did an incredible job and I’m so happy and proud of the team.”

Audi vanquishes quicker Peugeots at Le Mans

Audi claimed their ninth win in ten years

Audi has reclaimed the Le Mans 24 Hours crown with Germany's Timo Bernhard taking the chequered flag at the wheel of the first R15 car in a 1-2-3 finish at the Circuit de la Sarthe.

The non-works Peugeot Oreca was fourth after the French manufacturer, who ended Audi's five-year reign last year, saw their three works cars retire with mechanical failures.

Peugeot had looked race favourites after sweeping the front two rows of the grid in qualifying and then initially holding their positions at the start of the race.

The French team suffered a setback after three hours when their pacesetting car, which locally-born ex-Formula One driver Sebastien Bourdais had put on pole, withdrew due to suspension failure.

At daybreak, Peugeot were still in the lead with Frenchman Franck Montagny enjoying a two-lap lead over the first Audi when engine failure forced him to stop on the track side and walk away from his car.

Audi, who had since 2000 won eight editions of the world's oldest sportscar race which started in 1923, were meanwhile playing the long game and survived all the race incidents.

Herbert dominates Motul Hondas

Herbert - untouchable

Speedfactor Racing's young ace Justin Herbert dominated the first round of the Motul HondaCup winter series on Taupo's short circuit last weekend, winning all three races in style in his Speedfactor-built Honda Integra DC2.

The 24 car field - containing New Zealand's fastest Honda racing cars - qualified in tricky slippery conditions but Herbert showed his class immediately, hustling the car round to a half second pole position advantage over returning racer Al Stewart in his DC2.

Herbert dominated the first race from pole, the scratch grid unable to keep pace with the Tauranga driver who continued to build a lead throughout the ten lap race despite straight-lining The Chase late in the race. In the second race - a reverse top ten format, he again made his way quickly to the front and was untouchable in the last few laps. The third race offered the greatest challenge, with a handicap start and Herbert starting way back over a minute behind the cars starting at the front. Nevertheless, by the end of the race he had worked his way to the front to take a clean sweep and a handy lead in the five round series.

Results here

Bailey keen for more endurance

Bailey went well in the Mini

Despite a late race problem which cost him and car owner James Kirkpatrick the lead in their class, Palmerston North driver Ryan Bailey says that the inaugural Altherm 1000 endurance race at the new Hampton Downs circuit on Saturday has given him a real taste for long distance driving.

Bailey and car owner James Kirkpatrick were running ninth overall with a two lap lead on the other Mini Challenge team in the four hour race until with just an hour to go the car's clutch master cylinder cried enough.

Bailey had just taken over the wheel for his final stint when it happened and after returning to the pits to see if anything could be done - it couldn't - he returned to the track and completed the race at a much reduced pace, eventually crossing the finish line in 13th position, two laps behind the other Mini.

The race was won by Auckland brothers Matthew and Dwayne Carter in their ex V8 Supercar series Ford Falcon V8 from the Porsche 996 GT3 Cup Car of Wanaka's Allan Dippie and Auckland's Mark Maddren and the 997 GT3 Cup Porsche of brothers Mitch and Wade Cunningham from Auckland.

Having only ever contested sprint events before Bailey says the four-hour Altherm 1000 event was a real eye-opener - particularly with such a differential in speed between the quickest and slowest cars.