Montreal: McLaren's Lewis Hamilton said he felt "phenomenal" after snatching his first win of the 2012 Formula One season and third Canadian Grand Prix here to leap to the top of the drivers' standings.

Relegated from first to third after his final pit stop on the 50th lap, the 25-year-old fought his way back in the late stages to overhaul Ferrari's Fernando Alonso and reigning champion Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull, to take victory.

He had earlier started second on the grid behind pole-sitter Vettel but grabbed the lead during the middle stages.

For the Brit, it was his first F1 win since November last year in Abu Dhabi and it broke a disappointing sequence of finishes this season.

"It is a phenomenal feeling to be back here again, to go out and have a performance like that and when coming back seeing the team in our special tops, that was awesome," said Hamilton.

"It was the place of my first win and to win here today brought back a lot of fantastic memories," Hamilton said.

"I knew that it would be a very tough race. I knew that the Ferraris would be very strong … but I knew that I am in a fighting position and it worked."

Hamilton also won in Montreal in his debut season in 2007 and also chalked up victory again here two years ago.

He became the seventh different winner in seven races this season and now leads the championship with 88 points, two ahead of Alonso with Vettel a further point back in third.

The season moves to Valencia in two weeks time for the European Grand Prix. (IANS)