McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton won the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal on Sunday for the 2008 Formula One champion’s first win of the season.

The Briton, who became the seventh different winner in as many races, was followed across the line by France’s Romain Grosjean, in a Lotus, with Sergio Perez for Sauber in third.

Hamilton’s reward for a superb drive was to take control of the drivers’ standings on 88 points from Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso on 86 with Red Bull’s defending champion Sebastian Vettel one point back in third.

The race went ahead against a backdrop of increased security as police sought to prevent student demonstrators disrupting the event to bring attention to their bitter tuition fee battle.