29/05/2016
NEWS STORY
Lewis Hamilton has thanked his "gentleman" teammate for giving way during today's race.
Struggling for grip in the conditions, once the safety car was withdrawn it was clear that Hamilton, running in third behind Rosberg and race leader Daniel Ricciardo, was quicker than his German teammate.
On a track notorious for overtaking in ideal conditions, Hamilton was never going to get by his teammate in the damp without risking a repeat of Barcelona and eliminating both cars.
Aware of the situation, and that Rosberg was struggling, the team finally took the decision to ask the German to yield to his teammate, he duly obliged, slowing at Beau Rivage on the run up the hill to Massenet.
"It was clear that not reversing the situation between Nico and Lewis would definitely lose us the race," admitted Toto Wolff. "We waited for quite a while, gave him more laps, for the tyre to come in but it didn't. Finally we decided to call it because the pace was just so much slower. It proved to be the right decision."
"At the time it was pretty simple because it's a rule that we've had for many, many years now," said Rosberg, who ended the race a disappointing seventh, being passed by Nico Hulkenberg in the final few seconds.
"It was pretty obvious at the time that I'm not going to be able to fight for a win with that pace," admitted the German. "They gave me a warning, 'try and up the pace', and I wasn't able to. The next step is 'let Lewis by' and I think the final result made it worthwhile for the team because Lewis wouldn't have won otherwise."
"I came here today thinking: 'I have just got to go and do it,' because no one is going to give it to me," said Hamilton. "I didn't know whether I could win, but knowing that it would rain opened up the window of opportunity.
"I thought Nico had a problem," he continued. "I knew when I was behind him that I was much, much quicker than him. I was also conscious that none of us are going to win this race if I am stuck behind.
"When the team ask you to push and you are not able to and it is hindering the team's chance of winning we have that agreement. I said thanks for being a gentleman."
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