Story highlights Lewis Hamilton wins German GP

Moves 19 points clear after Nico Rosberg finishes fourth

Daniel Ricciardo finishes second, Max Verstappen third

(CNN) Lewis Hamilton opened up a 19-point lead at the top of the Formula One drivers' championship after he cruised to victory at the German Grand Prix.

It was a double blow for Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg, as he was handed a five second penalty for forcing Max Verstappen off the track and finished fourth in his own back yard.

Hamilton's lead marks a remarkable turnaround for the three-time world champion, winning six races out of the last seven to overturn a 43-point deficit to Rosberg after a poor start to the season.

HAM: "What a great start! My engineer did a great job - the balance was amazing" #GermanGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/wDBSKInWaA — Formula 1 (@F1) July 31, 2016

"What a race, what a fantastic start," Hamilton told reporters after the race, referring to his jump from second to first off the grid.

"It was just about keeping it cool. This is a very proud position to be in and thank you to the team, who did a fantastic job.

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