Canadian Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton backs himself to go from 'strength to strength' to secure fourth title

Hamilton recorded back-to-back victories in Monaco and Canada to reduce Nico Rosberg's lead to just nine points

Lewis Hamilton celebrates with his Mercedes team after winning the Canadian Grand Prix (Getty)

Lewis Hamilton has admitted he would not have placed a bet on moving to within just nine points of Nico Rosberg after his fraught start to the defence of his Formula One crown.

With back-to-back victories in Monaco, a fortnight ago, and then Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix, Hamilton has taken 34 points out of Rosberg's lead in just two races.

Rosberg, who leads the championship courtesy of winning the opening four rounds, coupled with a string of mechanical issues for Hamilton, finished only fifth on Sunday, 14 days after crossing the line seventh in Monte Carlo.

"If I was to put money down, I would never have tried to predict that," Hamilton, reflecting on how quickly Rosberg's advantage has evaporated, said.

"I thought Monaco might have been a one-off, a fluke, but the race was not a fluke, it was a great strong race.

"I am going to continue to push the car for as long as it stays together, but the way it is going, I don't see that strength diminishing. I think we are still going to go from strength to strength."

Lewis Hamilton leaps off his Mercedes in celebration after winning in Canada (Getty)

Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel appeared in the box seat to prevent Hamilton from winning for a fifth time at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve after leap-frogging the slow-starting Briton off the line.

But a curious strategical call from Ferrari, in which Vettel stopped for tyres on one more occasion than Hamilton, handed victory on a plate to the world champion.

Hamilton, who blamed his poor getaway on an issue with his clutch, also banged wheels with Rosberg at the opening corner. Rosberg said he was "massively p***ed off" with his Mercedes team-mate at the time of the incident after he dropped down the order to 10th.

Sebastian Vettel leads the field into turn one as Nico Rosberg cuts the first corner (Getty)

But Hamilton has dismissed the need for a team enquiry into the collision which came just one month on from their opening-lap crash in Spain.

"I don't think the team could do anything because you could not have predicted we would be side by side going into the first corner," Hamilton added.

"Ideally, I would be eight metres ahead, or whatever the gap is between first and second, going into turn one.

"Nico was on the outside and I was on the inside, so I was on the racing line, and watching the reply, Vettel was so close in front of me that I could not have braked any later even if I wanted to.

"I suffered massive understeer as I was turning, and after watching it again, it was the smallest tap. From my side, I barely felt it, but for him he had to go the other way.

"Sometimes you make it round the outside and sometimes you don't, and for him it didn't work out."

PA