27/05/2006
NEWS STORY
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Lewis Hamilton has taken an impressive victory on the streets of Monaco to record his third victory of the 2006 season. The ART Grand Prix driver crossed the line 8.445 seconds ahead of Dams driver Franck Perera who drove a brilliant race to break his GP2 series points duck with a podium. Lewis' team-mate Alex Prémat was third.
As the lights went out Lewis made a perfect getaway from pole with Franck tucked up behind his rear wing. The leaders all made it through the first corner safely, with Olivier Pla jumping to third with Clivio Piccione fourth. Behind them however there was mayhem as Tristan Gommendy made contact with José María López. The Frenchman was launched into the air and into the back of his compatriot Nicolas Lapierre. The contact forced Nicolas into and over the rear of Lucas di Grassi's car. Javier Villa was caught up in the chaos as was Gimmi Bruni, Xandi Negrão and Nelson Piquet. Alex, Tristan, Nicolas and Javi were out on the spot, while Adam Carroll retired moments later and Gimmi made it back to the pits to call it a day.
The wreckage was cleared with clinical efficiency as Nicolas was taken to hospital for observation. With no safety car needed the race continued apace. Olivier went out under pressure from his team- mate on lap three, leaving Clivio in a podium position at his home race. Lewis and Franck meanwhile were exchanging fastest laps, although when the pace settled down Lewis was able to pull out a comfortable lead: 10 seconds in 15 laps.
Franck pitted on lap 13 with Lewis following suit three laps later. Incredibly the Briton emerged with his lead in tact, ahead of the now second placed Andreas Zuber who had yet to stop. Franck however had been flying and Lewis' 10 second gap had been reduced to just three seconds by the Frenchman. Andreas peeled into the pits for his stop and the race was back on for the lead. The pair were never closer together than that three seconds as they scythed their way through the field, lapping everyone bar the top five. Lewis would eventually win by 8.4 seconds, with the rest almost 30 seconds behind.
Alex had got ahead of Clivio in the pits, but the local driver was determined to get a home podium after a slow stop and pushed for all he was worth, eventually finishing just 0.9 seconds behind the ART Grand Prix driver. Andreas came home fifth to record his first points of the season as Felix Porteiro finished sixth, Michael Ammermüller seventh and Sergio Hernandez eighth. Sergio's Durango team- mate Lucas di Grassi, having changed his rear wing after the first corner shunt, picked up the point for fastest lap. It was the Durango pair's first points of the season, too.
Lewis Hamilton – ART Grand Prix: It's quite an emotional experience winning here in Monaco: it's historic, and it's something that, growing up, you dream of. To come into GP2 in only my first year and win here, and from pole … I couldn't ask for more.
Franck Perera – Dams: We have had the speed but we haven't had the chance, and this weekend was perfect because now we can focus, be more relaxed, and we know we can fight for the top three at all the other races.
Alex Prémat – ART Grand Prix: The feeling is great. We had a great strategy to get out in front of Piccione and I am really happy!