MONTREAL – Sebastian Vettel looked well on his way to his first Formula One victory during Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix, but a penalty handed Lewis Hamilton his fifth victory of the season at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Vettel started from the pole in his Ferrari and was in control for much of the race, but a mistake in turn four caused Vettel to overcook the chicane. Hamilton, who was right in Vettel’s tire tracks, attempted to overtake Vettel at that moment but Vettel rejoined the track and blocked Hamilton’s advance.

Stewards promptly looked at the incident and after several laps they handed Vettel a five-second penalty that would be assessed after the race. In order for Vettel to win, he would be forced to get to the finish line five seconds ahead of Hamilton.

Hamilton was aware of Vettel’s penalty and stayed glued to the bumper of the Ferrari, refusing to let Vettel escape. At the checkered flag Vettel crossed the finish line less than a second ahead of Hamilton, meaning Hamilton would be declared the winner of the Canadian Grand Prix.

“Naturally this is not the way, absolutely not the way I wanted to win,” Hamilton said. “I was pushing to the end to try and get past. Obviously I forced him into an error, he went a bit wide but then obviously I had the run on that corner and we nearly collided. It was unfortunate, but that is motor racing.”

Vettel initially parked his car well away from the podium, but was later convinced by team officials convinced him to walk to the podium. Upon reaching where the top-three cars were typically parked, Vettel took the No. 1 sign that was placed in front of Hamilton’s car and replaced it with the No. 2 sign that would have been put in front of Vettel’s car had he parked it with the other podium finishers.

It was a clear sign of Vettel’s frustration as the Ferrari driver remains winless this year while the Mercedes duo of Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas have won each of the seven Grands Prix contested this year.

“The people shouldn’t boo at Lewis,” Vettel said. “Lewis was a bit faster, but we were able to keep him behind. Ask the people what they think.”

Ferrari has since informed officials they plan to appeal the penalty against Vettel.

Charles Leclerc finished third to give Ferrari two cars on the podium. Bottas finished fourth in the second Mercedes, followed by the Red Bull of Max Verstappen in fifth. The Renault duo of Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Hulkenberg were sixth and seventh, with Red Bull’s Pierre Gasly, Racing Point’s Lance Stroll and Toro Rosso’s Daniil Kvyat completing the top-10.