MONACO GP – Rosberg takes a hat-trick of wins after costly error for Hamilton
Nico Rosberg took advantage of a mistake by his team Mercedes to bring race leader Lewis Hamilton in for an unnecessary pit stop to take a hat trick of wins at the Monaco Grand Prix.
Hamilton came into the pits during a safety car in the closing stages after Toro Rosso driver Max Verstappen crashed into the barrier at Sainte Devote. The team apologised to the 30-year old with engineer Peter Bonnington saying on team radio “I’m sorry about that, Lewis. I’ll have to have a word with the pit wall.”
Verstappen who had his first crash in F1 hit the Lotus of Romain Grosjean while trying to pass him at Sainte Devote. He was unhurt following the huge impact at turn one.
Verstappen was seen to be the cause of the crash. will carry a five-place grid penalty for the next race in Canada and was also handed two penalty points on his Super Licence.
Verstappen was continuing to impress the paddock after he made some brilliant passes including one on Valtteri Bottas using the slip stream of Williams’s Valtteri Bottas.
Daniil Kyvat beat his Red Bull team-mate Daniel Ricciardo to fourth place.
The late stop for Hamilton was called after a virtual safety car was called out after Verstappen’s crash which caused the reaction by the team to bring Hamilton in. But this later was changed to a real safety car being deployed onto circuit.
McLaren scored their first points this season after Jenson Button finished in eighth place.
Robert Merhi finally beat Manor team-mate Will Stevens for the first time as they finished 16th and 17th.
COMMENTS: