Lewis took his 44th career victory today - his second at the Circuit de Monaco and first of 2016. A tough afternoon for Nico saw him finish seventh after a race-long battle in traffic.
Nico (106) leads the Drivers' Championship by 24 points from Lewis (82) in P2. Mercedes AMG Petronas (188) lead Ferrari (121) by 67 points in the Constructors' Championship.
Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: What an incredible drive from Lewis: he didn't put a foot wrong, we took some risks together as a team and lady luck smiled on us as well. It was an amazing race and just what the doctor ordered after everything we have been through together in recent weeks. But I feel really bad for Nico, too; he endured a messy race in a car that didn't have the pace today, a delayed second pit stop that cost him track position and then found himself stuck behind Alonso for the rest of the race. It was like all his bad luck came on one day and the result was P7. In the first stint we told him to let Lewis pass, as that was our best chance of winning the race at that time. The fact that he did so was the gesture of a great team player. But we don't leave Monaco feeling in any way complacent: Red Bull had the performance this weekend and Montreal and Baku will present some very different challenges for us to tackle. So we need to keep pushing on performance and keep chasing the root causes of the problems we have experienced. For this evening, though, we can also savour a special win for Lewis who was at his very best today.
Paddy Lowe, Executive Director (Technical): We woke up this morning to rain, as predicted. Not having pole position, this was a welcome opportunity to find a way to win the race. As it panned out, we started under the safety car which lost us one opportunity. And then, once the race did get underway, it soon became clear from Nico's pace that he had a problem. We're still trying to analyse what that was - but the initial signs are that it was related to brake temperatures. It came to the point where we told Nico he would either need to pick up the pace or let Lewis past. One lap later, he hadn't managed to find that extra pace, so we asked him to move aside - which he did immediately. Great credit to Nico for his team ethic and playing for the overall team result. Unfortunately, his pace didn't recover all afternoon - to the point where he even lost sixth place at the final corner as light rain began to fall once more. We need to look into why that was. Once Lewis was past, he instantly began to stretch away from Nico with pace that was on a par with the leader. Once Daniel pitted for Intermediates, we had a very interesting situation where Lewis was in the lead and we had nothing to lose strategically - thanks to the buffer he had built over Nico in third. We gambled on stringing out the stint until the track was sufficiently dry to change to slicks. Fortunately, the wet tyre clung on at a reasonable pace until we made the switch to the UltraSoft and the rest is history! A fantastic job from Lewis to maintain the lead in difficult circumstances with changing conditions, traffic, VSC incidents and all sorts - and credit again to Nico for the way he handled a tough situation. A word finally to the strategy team - who did a fantastic job today with a bold but brilliant call for Lewis which played a huge role in the win.
Maurizio Arrivabene: Today it was a very tricky race, and the outcome was partly compromised by our qualifying performance. An aggressive race strategy, with an early call for intermediate tires, was the only option we could take to gain positions, and it's no use to complain about other drivers who hampered us on the track. If we had qualified better, the result would also had been better. Our car had a very good race pace but that's not enough, as we must make sure that we stay competitive for the whole weekend. We now look forward to the next race in Canada where we don't want to be caught out, as we want to be up to our name. The season is still very long, and it's not in the DNA of Ferrari to surrender. Having said this, we must work hard to cure our weak spots, while improving further on all areas where we are strong already.
Felipe Massa finished 10th and Valtteri Bottas 12th in today's Monaco Grand Prix. Felipe was able to take advantage of changing conditions throughout the race to move forward from his grid position as he switched from wet to intermediate and then dry tyres. But Valtteri lost time in a pitstop and had further misfortune with traffic, which cost him track position.
Valtteri finished the race 11th but was demoted to 12th by a 10-second time penalty, applied by the stewards for causing a collision with Gutierrez. Felipe remains seventh and Valtteri eighth in the Drivers' Championship, while the team maintains fourth in the Constructors' Championship.
Rob Smedley, Head of Performance Engineering: We got a point today. It's not exactly what we want but one is better than none. We want a lot more and we'll try a lot harder to get them. We were quite quick on dry tyres in that midfield pack, and Felipe set the fastest lap on the intermediate tyres, so the pace of the car wasn't as bad as last year, which is a positive. Felipe drove a very clean race and got us a point. We kept him out on the extreme wet tyres and he got out in front of the pack held up behind Werhlein, so his race was pretty much set from there. We pitted Valtteri early for inters to try to release a bit of pace on that tyre. Unfortunately, we had a rear jack failure in the pitstop which cost us because that put him out behind Werhlein. His race was very difficult from then on because he couldn't pass him. We could have got him P7-9 without that. Generally, the race was bittersweet. We've made really good progress around Monaco compared to the last two years, but we haven't been able to convert that into the amount of points we should have done. Looking forward, we're going to Canada, Azerbaijan, Austria and Great Britain - a series of races we can capitalise on. We're still fourth in the championship, and Red Bull didn't score the amount of points they could have. We've got good developments coming, and we won't be giving up the fight this season.
Christian Horner, Team Principal: "A very disappointing day. We as a team owe Daniel a huge apology today as we failed to support him in the way we did to get him to his first pole position yesterday. The delay at his pit stop cost him the lead and despite some excellent driving to get close to Lewis, he couldn't get past, as is so often the case here in Monaco. Max put in some excellent laps to move through the field but unfortunately came unstuck at turn three pushing to improve position. We will review and re-group and all of the team will be aiming to continue our strong form in Canada."
Sahara Force India scored a fantastic podium today as Sergio Perez raced to third place in the Monaco Grand Prix. Sixth place for Nico Hulkenberg ensured the team climbed to fifth in the constructors' championship.
Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal: "What a race! It's amazing to be celebrating our fourth podium finish and Sergio's third with the team. It wasn't easy to make the right calls with the strategy, but when given the opportunity to score a special result, Sergio didn't put a single wheel wrong and grabbed it with both hands. To be honest, these decisions can often go the other way and we will review the wet to intermediate call we made with Nico. We opted to make an early stop for the intermediate tyres, but he got stuck behind Massa, which proved very costly for his race. Despite the disappointment for Nico, it's a very special day for the team, one that will live with us for a very long time. It's our best ever result in Monaco and we will celebrate this moment. We have reclaimed fifth in the championship, we showed that the VJM09 is a very competitive package and we got a big confidence boost as we head to a number of tracks that will play to our strengths."
Renault Sport Formula One Team suffered a disappointing double retirement from an eventful Monaco Grand Prix. Kevin Magnussen showed promising progress with an early swap to intermediate tyres after a race start on full wet tyres behind the safety car. Kevin's potential was ultimately undone by an unfathomable onslaught from a one-lap-down Daniil Kvyat. He continued to race but subsequently ended up in the barriers again and retired from the Grand Prix. Jolyon Palmer's race was far shorter, ending after aquaplaning into the barriers on the main straight, then into the barriers at Sainte Devote on the eighth lap.
Kevin started the race in P16 on the full wet Pirelli tyres. He made a switch to the intermediate tyres on lap 7 then had a Kyvat-induced stop for a new front wing and replacement intermediates on lap 21. He later stopped for new super softs on lap 29 and new ultra softs and a further front wing on lap 32. He retired a lap later.
Jolyon started the race in P18 on the full wet Pirelli tyres. He aquaplaned into the barriers and out of the race on lap 7.
Fred Vasseur, Racing Director: "It was a tough weekend for both cars. Jolyon's race ended on the straight as soon as the race got underway. He had a pretty serious shunt, a fast one, and that put an end to his day; there was nothing to be done. For Kevin, he asked to swap to intermediates pretty early in the race which was a good call, despite suffering from being in traffic for a while. His race effectively ended thanks to the incident with Kvyat which is a shame especially as there may have been something to be done from where he was ranked as we had a strategy that was slightly out of step from everyone else's. In any case, we'll go lick our wounds and move our focus to Canada."
Franz Tost (Team Principal): "It's very disappointing to finish Carlos' race only in P8, when we know we have a package which has the performance to be at least within the top five. The main reason for this result was the first pit-stop, during which we lost two seconds and where Perez, Vettel and Hulkenberg passed us. Therefore, Carlos ended up behind this train of cars and couldn't use all the potential of the car, but he did a solid race and showed a really good performance. On Daniil's car we had a problem with the software during the Safety Car period at the start of the race, where he was stuck in pit-limiter mode, driving at only 60kph. Although we changed the steering wheel, this didn't help and he therefore was a lap down when the race was restarted. He then had a collision with another driver and did not finish the race. We all expected much more from this event here in Monaco and we have to be more concentrated in order to prevent mistakes in the upcoming races."
After a collusion on lap 47, Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr were not able to finish the Monaco Grand Prix. Marcus Ericsson will be penalised by a three place grid drop at the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix for 'causing a collusion'.
Monisha Kaltenborn, Team Principal: "It was unacceptable behaviour by both drivers. Today the work of the whole team ended in a collusion. Marcus and Felipe both know how much work is put into every race weekend. They have the responsibility to make it to the end of the race. After evaluating the overall situation, it was important to bring the fastest car as far as possible to the front, so that we were able to used any chances. Our decision was based on the data from both cars. After this, we have clarified the situation internally and both drivers are aware of their responsibilities. Such an incident will not happen again. I also want to say a word to our previous driver Sergio Perez and Force India: Congratulations on the third place in Monaco."
McLaren-Honda scored another double points-finish after a gruelling wet/dry Monaco Grand Prix - Fernando Alonso came home fifth and Jenson Button ninth.
Starting behind the Safety Car in torrential conditions, both drivers judged the conditions perfectly to switch from Full Wets, to Intermediates, and then to dry-weather Option tyres as the track steadily dried out.
Eric Boullier, Racing Director: "As in Sochi four weeks ago, both McLaren-Hondas finished in the points here in Monaco today - and, although that isn't much to write home about when you reflect that McLaren has won the Monaco Grand Prix a record 15 times in its illustrious 50-year Formula 1 history, it's encouraging nonetheless.
"Moreover, despite the fact that conditions today were tricky in the extreme, causing the race to be peppered by accidents on the treacherous wet-dry asphalt, both Fernando and Jenson showed their great expertise and experience, stroking their way to the finish over two flawless hours while all around them drivers of less sheer class were scraping their way along the Armco at almost every turn.
"So, although we arrived in the Principality with hopes of being slightly more competitive here than in the end we were, we're pleased that today we saw more evidence of the solid developmental progress we're making, the result of the massive amount of hard work that's taking place in both the UK and Japan at the moment.
"In two weeks' time we'll be racing on another iconic and unique racetrack, the challenging Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, and it goes without saying that we'll be hoping to continue our points-scoring form there."
Yusuke Hasegawa, Honda R&D Co Ltd Head of F1 Project & Executive Chief Engineer: "With Fernando finishing fifth and Jenson ninth, it was a great end result to a difficult weekend and a chaotic race.
"The race conditions were ever-changing from a wet start to dry conditions, but the engineers made all the right calls with tyre choices and the skills of our highly experienced drivers shone through during the race.
"From a power unit perspective, we had consistent performance without any glitches or issues throughout the weekend, so it is also great for Honda to be able to show and confirm our reliability out on track."
Dave Ryan, Racing Director: "At the end of a weekend that has seen so many incidents up and down the field, on the face of it two cars home in 14th and 15th position is not a bad result. It was quite a tough race for us with the wet start and typical Monaco traffic challenges making it very difficult to maintain the momentum that we started the race with. Both drivers did a good job in their debut here and though you always hope that some of the attrition can lead to a better result, they did manage to keep their noses clean and take the chequered flag. So, we look forward to Canada now; a different kind of challenge and one that we hope may play to our advantage slightly more."
An entertaining wet-to-dry Monaco Grand Prix highlighted the challenging nature of the historic 3.340-kilometer (2.075-mile), 19-turn circuit in Monte Carlo where Haas F1 Team drivers Esteban Gutiérrez and Romain Grosjean finished 11th and 13th, respectively. Gutiérrez was one spot shy of a point-paying result while Grosjean impressively rallied after being as low as 20th in the 22-car field.
Torrential rain kicked off Round 6 of the 21-race 2016 FIA Formula One World Championship, with the safety car pacing the field for the first seven laps prior to the green flag. All drivers began the 78-lap contest on the Pirelli Cinturato Blue full wet tire before transitioning to the Pirelli Cinturato Green intermediate tire as the track began to dry. Then, as the sun began to peek through the clouds and a dry groove developed, teams began to call their drivers to the pits for slicks. Most opted for the new Pirelli P Zero Purple ultrasoft tire, which heats up the fastest and provides the highest level of grip. Others chose the Pirelli P Zero Red supersoft and even the Pirelli P Zero Yellow soft.
Shortly after the race went green, Gutiérrez gained two positions to claim 10th. Grosjean augmented his teammate's performance, rising from 15th to 13th.
Grosjean, however, soon had his race derailed when Kimi Raikkonen's wounded Ferrari forced him to a halt while entering Portier. Raikkonen severely damaged the nose of his car after making contact with the barrier at the Grand Hotel Hairpin. He drifted into Grosjean's path and stopped, forcing Grosjean to do the same. Grosjean had to put his car in reverse and wait for a clear racetrack before continuing. The lost track positon was devastating, as it dropped him deep in the field.
An ever-drying track brought a round of pit stops for Grosjean and Gutiérrez on lap 16, both of whom switched to the Green intermediates. Gutiérrez made the most of his tires, setting the fastest first-lap sector on lap 20 and then the fastest race lap eight tours later before others bettered his mark.
The second and final round of pit stops followed with a full dry line established. Grosjean was first to change to the Purple ultrasoft tire on lap 31, with Gutiérrez mirroring the move the next lap.
The remainder of Grosjean's race was a tale of frustration, yet it didn't deter his tenaciousness. Placed behind the Manor Racing entry of Pascal Wehrlein, Grosjean closed the gap to less than a second but was unable to pass due to wet, off-line conditions. Wehrlein was later dealt a pair of 10-second penalties – once for not staying above the minimum time set by the FIA ICU in Virtual Safety Car conditions and the second for ignoring the blue, move-over flags. With Manor taking the penalties after the checkered flag, Grosjean was classified 13th, two laps down.
Gutiérrez was passed by the leaders on lap 52 with his sights set on the Williams of Felipe Massa, who was 14 seconds ahead in 10th. Gutiérrez then survived a lock-up at the renowned Rascasse corner, having placed 31 laps on his tires. While he dropped to 12th on the penultimate lap, Gutiérrez was classified 11th at the finish, as the other Williams driver, Valtteri Bottas, was handed a 10-second penalty for causing a collision.
After six of 21 races, Haas F1 Team is eighth in the constructor standings with 22 points, two points behind seventh-place McLaren and 16 points ahead of ninth-place Renault.
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton won the Monaco Grand Prix to take his first win of the season, the 44th of his career and his second at Monaco. Hamilton crossed the stripe 7.252 seconds ahead of Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo, who started from the pole.
Guenther Steiner: "It was a challenging race. A lot of things happening on track today but, unfortunately, not a lot helped us. We started off with Romain not being able to get passed Kimi's damaged car, losing positions and then coming into a pit stop which wasn't perfect. He was then so far behind. It's very difficult here to get back to where you want to be. Esteban was very quick on the wets, but when we moved to the dry tires we lost position by position. Not a very successful weekend, but we will for sure get up again and try to do better in Canada."
The Monaco Grand Prix got underway behind a safety car in wet conditions, which altered the complexion of race strategy entirely, as all the drivers had to start on the Cinturato Blue full wet tyres (in accordance with the regulations).
The safety car came in after seven laps, with most drivers eventually switching to intermediates. Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton was one of just two competitors to stay out on the full wets as the circuit dried, switching straight to P Zero Purple ultrasoft on lap 31.
Polesitter Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) went to the P Zero Red supersoft one lap later after a long pit stop, emerging directly behind Hamilton, which was the start of a brilliant duel for the lead between them.
An alternative strategy was adopted by Force India's Sergio Perez, who finished third from eighth on the grid, going from the intermediate to the P Zero Yellow soft tyre.
All five types of tyre brought to Monaco - full wet, intermediate, soft, supersoft and ultrasoft - were used extensively throughout the race. Because it was a wet race at the beginning, there was no obligation to run at least two slick compounds. The Mercedes driver ran for a full 47 laps on the ultrasoft, which had never been seen before in testing or free practice, setting fastest lap close to the end of the race.
Paul Hembery: "At the start of the race, in wet conditions, teams had to judge where the crossover point was between full wets and intermediates, despite not having any data about wet running in Monaco with the latest generation of cars. As a result, as is often the case here, the teams had to think on their feet about strategy decisions. We saw lots of different tactics, with Lewis Hamilton staying out on wet tyres and going straight to purple slicks: a key element to his inspired victory. A brilliant mix of strategies saw a number of drivers to advance beyond their grid positions, on a circuit where overtaking is notoriously difficult."
Truthometer
We predicted a two-stop strategy as being the fastest option, with a one-stop option being the most likely possibility using ultrasoft and supersoft tyres. The rain blew that strategy wide open and Hamilton went from full wets to ultrasoft at the end of lap 31: the only driver apart from Manor's Pascal Wehrlein to adopt this strategy.
