Nico Rosberg celebrated a surprise hat-trick of Monaco Grand Prix victories on Sunday after Mercedes blew championship-leading team-mate Lewis Hamilton’s chances with a needless pitstop.
The result, with double world champion Hamilton finishing third after seeming assured of victory, slashed the Briton’s overall lead to 10 points after six of the season’s 19 races.
Hamilton had led comfortably from pole until he pitted for fresh tyres when the safety car was deployed with 14 laps to go.
“I’ve lost the race, haven’t I?” the disconsolate Briton enquired over the team radio after rejoining in third place behind Rosberg and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, neither of whom pitted. “What’s happened, guys?”
Afterwards, with the enormity of what had happened still sinking in, the stunned Mercedes driver told reporters: “I can’t really explain the way I feel at the moment. I won’t even attempt to.”
While he did not blame the team, Mercedes motorsport head Toto Wolff indicated the call had come from the pit-wall: “We thought the gap was different to what it was. A complete misjudgement, I am so sorry,” he told the BBC .
“We screwed it up for him.”
The safety car had been deployed after 17-year-old Dutch Max Verstappen’s Toro Rosso smashed into the back of Romain Grosjean’s Lotus and crashed heavily into the barriers while fighting for a possible 10th place.
Verstappen, who had provided some of the more exciting moments of a largely processional race, was unhurt although the front of his car penetrated the plastic wall at the Sainte Devote corner.
Rosberg’s victory was the German’s second in succession, after winning the previous round in Spain, and made him only the fourth driver to win three Monaco Grands Prix in a row. The others were Graham Hill, Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost.
“I’m very, very happy, of course. I know it was just a lot of luck today. Lewis drove brilliantly and would have deserved the win, for sure, but that’s the way it is in racing,” said the Monaco resident.
“I know I got lucky today, I will just enjoy the moment now. Lewis was a little bit stronger this weekend so I have to work hard.”
Daniil Kvyat was fourth for Red Bull with Australian team mate Daniel Ricciardo fifth and Kimi Raikkonen finishing sixth for Ferrari.
Mexican Sergio Perez was seventh for Force India while Britain’s Jenson Button handed misfiring former champion McLaren its first points of the season with eighth place.
Felipe Nasr was ninth for Sauber, with Verstappen’s team-mate Carlos Sainz Jr. taking the final point for Toro Rosso after starting in the pit lane.
The results: 1. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) 1:49:18.420, 2. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) +4.486 secs, 3. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) +6.053, 4. Daniil Kvyat (Red Bull) +11.965, 5. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) +13.608, 6. Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) +14.345, 7. Sergio Perez (Force India) +15.013, 8. Jenson Button (McLaren) +16.063, 9. Felipe Nasr (Sauber) +23.626, 10. Carlos Sainz Jr. (Toro Rosso) +25.056, 11. Nico Hulkenberg (Force India) +26.232, 12. Romain Grosjean (Lotus) +28.415, 13. Marcus Ericsson (Sauber) +31.159, 14. Valtteri Bottas (Williams) +45.789, 15. Felipe Massa (Williams) +1 lap, 16. Roberto Merhi (Marussia) +2 laps.
Retired: Pastor Maldonado (Lotus) 9th lap, Fernando Alonso (McLaren) 43th lap, Max Verstappen (Toro Rosso) 64th lap .
Fastest Lap: Daniel Ricciardo: 1:18.063, lap 74.
Overall standings:Drivers: 1. Hamilton 126 pts, 2. Rosberg 116, 3. Vettel 98, 4. Raikkonen 60, 5. Bottas 42, 6. Massa 39, 7. Ricciardo 35, 8. Kvyat 17, 9. Nasr 16, 10. Grosjean 16, 11. Perez 11, 12. Sainz Jr. 9, 13. Hulkenberg 6, 14. Verstappen 6, 15. Ericsson 5, 16. Button 4.
Constructors: 1. Mercedes 242 pts, 2. Ferrari 158, 3. Williams 81, 4. Red Bull 52, 5. Sauber 21, 6. Force India 17, 7. Lotus 16, 8. Toro Rosso 15, 9. McLaren 4.
