McLaren Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain celebrates after winning the Canadian F1 Grand Prix in Montreal yesterday. Rookie Hamilton celebrated his first Formula One victory, keeping his cool to win a chaotic Canadian Grand Prix and take an eight-point lead in the world championship. - Reuters

MONTREAL, Canada (CMC):

British Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton, who has Caribbean family connections, became the first black to win a Grand Prix when he captured the Canadian event yesterday.

The 22-year-old McLaren Mercedes driver, who took pole position in the race in qualifying Saturday, survived anxious moments in a drama-filled race to capture his first-ever Grand Prix.

He finished in 1:44.11 with Germany's Nick Heidfeld four seconds behind in his BMW Sauber and Austria's Alexander Wurz a further five seconds behind in third. Hamilton's McLaren partner world champion Fernando Alonso finished seventh.

With the win, Hamilton, whose grandparents emigrated from Grenada in the 1950s, moved eight points clear at the top of the F1 standings with 48 points. Hamilton became the first F1 driver to finish in the top three of his first five Grand Prix races prior to this one, in only his first season in top-flight racing.