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Melbourne. — Lewis Hamilton emerged from a last-lap battering by his Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg and misguided post-race boos from disgruntled fans with a dramatic victory in yesterday’s Austrian Grand Prix. The 46th win of Hamilton’s career ended Rosberg’s dream of a hat-trick of triumphs in the Styrian Alps and cut his advantage in the title race to 11 points, just a week before defending champion Hamilton’s home British Grand Prix.

The feuding pair — Rosberg now has 153 points to Hamilton’s 142 — collided at Turn Two where Rosberg drove into the Briton’s car and forced him off the track, and then touched again as Hamilton rejoined before passing to go on and claim victory.

The German Rosberg, his car damaged and debris falling onto the circuit, limped home to finish fourth after starting the final lap as leader. Talented Dutch teenager Max Verstappen claimed his second career podium in second place for Red Bull ahead of third-placed Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari.

The Finn’s team-mate, four-time champion Sebastian Vettel, was forced to retire after 27 of the 71 laps while leading when, on his 29th birthday, the right rear tyre of his car exploded. “What an incredible race,” said Hamilton. “It was so tough. Apart from this (the crowd reaction), I love it here. I don’t know what that’s about. It’s not my problem. It’s their problem.”

Some in the Austrian crowd booed when Hamilton appeared and spoke on the victors’ podium after the race — clearly unaware that close study of video replays of the collision showed that Rosberg was the driver to blame.

The 31-year-old German, who started from seventh on the grid and gobbled up places thanks to a favourable strategy from the Mercedes team, led the race from the restart, after 32 laps, following Vettel’s blow-out.

As Rosberg went into the final lap, however, with Hamilton closing on him, he was struggling with debris and damage, and a brake problem. — AFP.