Lewis Hamilton has won the Canadian Grand Prix for the fifth time, heading home Sebastian Vettel who led the race early on.

The Ferrari driver made a lightning start from third on the grid, passing both Mercedes before the first turn, while Hamilton forced his team mate Rosberg onto the grass at turn one, dropping the German back to ninth.

Hamilton was able to keep Vettel in his sights in the early part of the race and took the lead on lap 11 as Vettel pitted after the race was placed under Virtual Safety Car conditions due to an engine failure for Jenson Button.

Ferrari's hopes of taking advantage of the VSC to make the most of Vettel's two stop strategy were dashed when the race was resumed as the four-time champion hit the pit lane. Nevertheless, when he emerged he was quicker than Hamilton and the two Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo who had moved up to second and third as a result of his stop.

Meanwhile Hamilton made his ultra soft tyres last until lap 24 when he pitted, moving Vettel back into the lead although he had yet to use the mandatory soft tyre compound.

Vettel would make his second stop on lap 37 and with Hamilton back in the lead it looked as if Ferrari's two stop gamble had failed to pay off. However, despite now in second place, Vettel was taking time out of Hamilton every lap.

The hard charging Ferrari was perhaps charging too hard, with two late race mistakes from Vettel at the final chicane ending any hopes of him claiming the win.

Hamilton would eventually win by five seconds ahead of Vettel and Williams driver Valtteri Bottas who took the final podium place after the two Red Bulls made a late change from a one stop to a two stop strategy.

Verstappen finished in fourth, with Rosberg fifth, despite spinning at the final turn on the penultimate lap while attempting to pass the Red Bull driver.

Rosberg, who had made an excellent recovery drive to challenge for the podium places after his start had to settle for fifth after again falling back due to a slow puncture.

Kimi Raikkonen held off Ricciardo for sixth with Force India's Nico Hulkenberg in eighth and Sainz, battling from 20th on the grid after a gearbox change penalty, in ninth. Hulkenberg's Force India team mate Sergio Perez completed the points scorers in tenth.

As well as Button, Jolyon Palmer retired with a water leak on lap 18 with Felipe Massa joining the two Brits on the sidelines on lap 37 with rising engine temperature, despite a brand new Mercedes power unit being fitted to his Williams FW38 for this weekend.

Hamilton's second consecutive victory closes the gap at the top of the standings with Rosberg's lead shrinking from 24 points to just nine, while Vettel's second place moves him up from fifth to third ahead of Daniel Ricciardo and team mate Kimi Raikkonen.