Round 6; Mercedes continue to dominate. Rain threatened to impact Qualifying but held off just long enough.
Grid: HAM, ROS, VET, RIC, KVY, RAI, PER, MAL, VES, BUT, HUL, MAS, ALO, NAS, GRO, BOT, ERI, STE, MER; SAI* starts from the pit lane
*GRO qualified P11 but has a 5 grid spot penalty him for gearbox changes
*SAI was P8 but will start right at the back after failing to stop at the FIA weighbridge
Air temperature 18°C; track 37°C; sunny; wind 1.1m/s
As the dummy grid forms up, with the top 10 qualifiers on the same tyres that they set their fastest Q2 time, there’s a flat-spot visible on ROS’ front left.
Looks like everyone’s starting on super-softs except HUL, ALO, BOT, STE & MER.
HAM leads away, although ROS is a bit slow to follow
Radio for SAI (jokingly, I hope) saying their target is to go as fast as possible and overtake as many cars as possible
BBC report the Mercedes drivers are using different clutch specifications, but not which is expected to be better
Radio from BOT reporting that the track feels better
HAM stops in his grid box; rest of the grid forms up
01/78: VET attacking ROS into Turn 1 but ROS keeps P2
HUL into the barriers – broken the front wing – replay shows contact with ALO
Radio from MAS – “finished”
02: HAM, ROS, VET, KVY, RIC, RAI, PER, MAL, VES, BUT
Incident involving cars 27 (HUL) and 14 (ALO) under investigation – causing a collision
HUL pits – new nose
MAS pits – new nose too
03: HAM fastest lap 1:20.852
DRS enabled
Radio for MAL – “we think the brakes are OK now”
04: HAM f/lap 1:20.720
SAI up to P16
HUL f/lap 1:20.220
05/78: HAM, ROS, VET, KVY, RIC, RAI, PER, MAL, VES, BUT
Radio from MAL – still struggling with brake temps
Radio for VES telling him to push MAL
06: VES right on MAL’s tail
VES taps the rear of MAL; damage to VES front wing
Yellow flags because of that debris
Race control: 5sec penalty for car 14 (ALO) – causing a collision
VES inside MAL into Turn 1; VES takes P8
07: HAM runs over a signalling board on the main “straight”
MAL pits; pushed into the garage
Debris in the chicane – from VES?
08: Debris cleared
Replay shows SAI cut the chicane
09: HAM f/lap 1:20.187
Radio for HAM – front left brake a little too warm
10/78: HAM, ROS, VET, KVY, RIC, RAI, PER, VES, BUT, ALO, NAS, GRO, BOT, ERI, SAI, STE, MER, HUL, MAS; retirements: MAL
12: SAI pits
14: Radio from HAM – “what can I do to save brakes?” Suggest moving brake balance forward
15/78: HAM has a 2.6sec lead over ROS
18: HAM f/lap 1:20.077
GRO pits from P12
20/78: HAM, ROS, VET, KVY, RIC, RAI, PER, VES, BUT, ALO
22: HAM f/lap 1:19.869
23: Radio for ROS telling him to push to cover VET undercut
ROS and VET both pick up their pace
24: HAM f/lap 1:19.807
26: Blue flags as HAM closes to lap ERI (P14)
27: ROS and VET stuck behind ERI, letting VET close the gap
29: KVY pits from P4; switch to primes; rejoins P9 behind BUT
RAI all over the tail of RIC
30/78: HAM, ROS, VET, RIC, RAI, PER, BUT, KVY, ALO, NAS; retirements: MAL
Long stop for VES – problems getting both rear wheels off; dropped to P13
31: HAM f/lap 1:19.748
HAM struggling to find a way round STE
32: Radio for PER asking whether to stay on current tyres a bit longer; “this is all I have”
33: ALO pits; serves penalty before mechanics can work on the car; rejoins still P9
34: Radio for BUT asking about tyres; struggling
35/78: HAM, ROS, VET, RIC, RAI, PER, BUT, KVY, ALO,
37: VET pits; clean stop
RIC pits too; good stop (2.9sec); rejoins behind KVY
38: ROS pits from P2
RAI pits behind a Manor; rejoins between KVY and RIC
ROS rejoins just feet ahead of VET
39/78: HAM pits from P1; clean stop; rejoins still P1
40/78: HAM, ROS, VET, KVY, RAI, RIC, PER, BUT, ALO, NAS
ROS f/lap 1:19.716
Incident involving car 90 (MER) under investigation – crossing the line at pit exit
RAI cuts the chicane but did he gain any advantage?
42: ALO pulls off, parks the McLaren at Ste Devote – gearbox issue
43: VES closing on BOT for P11
45/78: HAM, ROS, VET, KVY, RAI, RIC, PER, BUT, NAS, GRO; retirements: ALO, MAL
Radio from BUT asking what happened to ALO; told it doesn’t affect us
VES all over the rear of BOT
46: Radio for PER telling him RIC is struggling on same strategy
HAM closing on VES/BOT battle
47: VES making 2nd pit stop
49: HAM has 11.2sec lead over ROS
56: SAI pulls off line to let VET pass and VES follows the Ferrari to pass his teammate
VES pulls the same trick to pass BOT for P11
58: BOT pits; another set of options; rejoins P15 behind his teammate
59: Race control: incident (crossing the white line at pit exit) involving car 98 (MER) – no further action warranted
HAM laps MER for 3rd time
Radio for GRO warning him VES might try to pass when VET laps him
60/78: HAM, ROS, VET, KVY, RAI, RIC, PER, BUT, NAS, GRO, VES, SAI, HUL, ERI, BOT, MAS, MER, STE; retirements: ALO, MAL
61: VET closing to lap GRO; VES tight to VET’s tail in the hope of following again
GRO lets VET pass just before the hairpin but closes the door before VES can follow
62: VES right on the gearbox of GRO
64: VES still harrying GRO but can’t find a gap
VES dives inside into Turn 1 but hits the rear of GRO
Virtual Safety Car “deployed”
VES moving OK in cockpit
Big impact – looks like the armco has moved!
VES gets himself out of the car, even though marshals are all over him
65/78 [VSC]: Safety Car deployed
Replay shows GRO didn’t move off his line – just VES’ mistake
VES has helmet off and talking to doctor
Radio from GRO complaining about VES
Pit stops from PER, BUT
Marshals free VES’ car from crash structure
66[SC]: HAM pits from P1; rejoins P3 – why did they pit him??
RIC pits too
67[SC]: Radio from HAM saying we’ve lost this, haven’t we?
Radio from VET checking he can stay in front of HAM
68[SC]: Lapped cars can now pass SC – 8, 9, 12, 19, 27, 28, 55, 77, 98
It’s a mess as the lapped cars pass the SC on both sides
At least we don’t have to wait for lapped cars to reach the back of the pack anymore
69[SC]: Radio for ROS asking if the barrier at Turn 1 is being repaired; no they’re not
Turn 1 incident involving cars 8 (GRO) and 33 (VES) under investigation – causing a collision
Radio for HAM asking who was ahead when he crossed SC line 2; HAM says ROS ahead but HAM was alongside VET
70/78[SC]: ROS, VET, HAM, KVY, RAI, RIC, PER, BUT, NAS, SAI, HUL, GRO, ERI, BOT, MAS, MER, STE; retirements: VES, ALO, MAL
Radio from VET – “like sending swimmers to swim with weights on their legs”; need higher pace
Lights off on SC; in at the end of this lap
ROS backing everyone up
SC heads for pits
71: ROS tries to break away but VET and HAM are right with him
VET defending from HAM allows ROS to open a gap
HAM pushing hard; twitching
72: ROS disappearing into the distance as VET fends off HAM
RIC takes P5 from RAI
Radio from RAI complaining RIC hit him
Replay shows RIC push RAI wide
73: DRS enabled
Radio for KVY telling him to let RIC past
RIC takes P4 from his teammate
74: ROS f/lap 1:18.603
Radio from HAM – “impossible to pass” (of course, because Monaco is a terrible circuit!)
Incident involving cars 3 (RIC) and 7 (RAI) under investigation – causing a collision
VET still making the Ferrari very wide
75/78: RIC f/lap 1:18.063
Will KVY try to allow a 5sec gap so that a penalty for RIC won’t affect the points result?
76: Radio for RIC encouraging him to “get stuck in”
Radio for HAM about strategy modes; “please stop talking to me please”
77: RIC closing on HAM
Race control: incident involving cars 3 (RIC) and 7 (RAI) – no further action warranted
78/78 = final lap: ROS has a huge lead; VET holding off HAM, who is now under pressure from RIC
Radio for RIC – “last lap; if we don’t overtake any cars, we’ll be asked to give the position back to KVY”
ROS takes the chequered flag – his 3rd Monaco victory
VET P2
HAM P3 and probably furious at the decision to pit under the SC
Radio for HAM – “really sorry about that Lewis; we’ll just have to have a word with the pit wall”
KVY P4, ahead of teammate RIC
Provisional result: ROS, VET, HAM, KVY, RIC, RAI, PER, BUT, NAS, SAI; HUL, GRO, ERI, BOT, MAS, MER, STE
DNF: VES, ALO MAL
HAM stopped just before the tunnel
He’s going again
ROS and VET look excited; HAM crawls into parc ferme and hits the 3rd place marker sign
BBC report Toto Wolff has admitted it was a strategy error which cost HAM 1st place
ROS takes the trophy
HAM shakes ROS’ hand but looks very disappointed, and then stands in the wrong place
It may not have rained during the race but HAM looks like thunder
ROS and VET spray the champagne but HAM walks off
Martin Brundle interviews the podium finishers
ROS: HAM drove brilliantly and deserved the win
VET: bit of a turnaround at the end; pipped Lewis coming out of the pits; great result for the team; incredibly hard to warm the tyres up (at the restart)
HAM: not the easiest of races; we win and we lose together; I’m sure we’ll sit down afterwards and look at how we can improve
ROS: I know I got lucky today
TV coverage ends with a replay of HAM behind the SC, peeling off into the pits for the stop which cost him the victory.
“Mercedes apologised to Lewis Hamilton for what they admitted was the strategic error that cost him victory in the Monaco Grand Prix.” Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff said: “The answer is we got the maths wrong. That one goes on the team and I apologise. He’s a great leader and a great driver. I am sure he will understand sometimes we make errors.” [BBC]
Lewis Hamilton should have won Monaco Grand Prix – Nico Rosberg [BBC]
As head of motorsport Toto Wolff explains, the team simply got their sums wrong – but having apologsied to Hamilton, he is confident the Briton will bounce back quickly. [FIA]
McLaren’s Fernando Alonso criticised the “random” decision to give him a penalty during the Monaco Grand Prix. Asked if the penalty was fair, he said: “Of course not. I am in Turn Five on the inside, Hulkenberg on the outside where probably you need to back off. To give penalties randomly like this is strange but it is what it is.” [BBC]
Toro Rosso’s Max Verstappen has been handed a five-place grid penalty for the next round in Canada after being deemed responsible for his late-race collision with Romain Grosjean in Monaco. [FIA]