Hamilton happy on holiday after halcyon Hockenheim
F1 championship leader Lewis Hamilton thanked his team's hard work after pulling out a 19-point advantage over Nico Rosberg in Hockenheim.
Lewis Hamilton was a beacon of positivity after a commanding German Grand Prix victory left him 19 points clear of Nico Rosberg in the Formula One standings.
The Mercedes pair are once again in a fight of their own for the title and Hamilton has wrestled momentum for himself in the jam-packed European season, wiping out a 43-point deficit in the process.
Rosberg had qualified on pole at the Hockenheimring, but was languishing in fourth as early as the first corner thanks to a woeful launch off the line.
It allowed a peerless Hamilton to control the race perfectly, nursing a power unit that may have to take the defending champion far as he ponders when to take on a sixth engine of the season and a potential 20-place grid penalty.
"What a race," Hamilton said.
"My engineers did a fantastic job, my balance was amazing and it was just about keeping it cool and looking after my engine.
"I'm just happy that I can be up here for Mercedes-Benz, who I have been with since I was 13 so this is a very, very proud position for me to be in, so a big thank you to the team, who as I said, did an amazing job.
"I didn't make any mistakes so in my heart I'm happy with what I did. I came to do a job and yesterday wasn't perfect but you learn from those things and today was a real show of looking at the glass half full, and filling it up today."
F1 now breaks for four weeks and Hamilton hopes his support team can enjoy a well-earned holiday.
He added: "It's been a hard slog for everyone in the team for the whole year and obviously with ups and downs and difficulties we've had, the real strength, through and through, that they've shown these last races has been inspiring for me.
"Seeing them come back, week after week, that they've put in inspired me to drive like I did today. I really owe it to them and I'm excited now to go on holiday, that's the best way to do it."