Hamilton breaks the bank in Monte Carlo

In a season that started off slow with disappointment after disappointment, Lewis Hamilton capitalized on the pit road blunder of the pole sitter to score the victory in Monte Carlo.

The driver of the No. 44 Mercedes AMG Petronas machine took advantage of Red Bull not having tires ready when Daniel Ricciardo pitted and held off Ricciardo to win the Monaco Grand Prix. It’s the 45th career victory for the reigning world champion and second at the track for the resident of the principality.

“Thank God that today went the way that I hoped,” Hamilton said after the race. “Big thank you to all the fans that came out today, really made the weekend, big thank you to my team for providing me with a great car to see it through to the end. Honestly, I’m lost for words really. I prayed for a day like this and it came true. I feel truly blessed.”

Pole sitter Ricciardo had the race under his control from the start until a miscue on pit road by his team not having the tires ready cost him the lead and the win. Needless to say, he wasn’t happy after the race.

“I don’t even want to comment on the race to be honest,” a dejected Ricciardo said. Thanks to the fans, thanks for sticking out in this weather. From the outside we put on a show. Shouldn’t have been as exciting as it was to be honest. Two weeks in a row now I’ve been screwed, so it sucks. It hurts.”

Sergio Pérez earned his seventh podium finish of his career with a third-place finish at Monaco.

“I’m extremely happy because my team has done a tremendous job with the strategy, with the calls, with the pit stops,” Perez said. “It’s been an amazing day for us, my their podium with the team, a special one to have in Monaco, especially in these race conditions. I want to dedicate this podium to our boss, Vijay Mallya. He has been very supportive during these times, and I really want to dedicate this one to him.”

Sebastian Vettel brought his No. 5 Ferrari home fourth. Fernando Alonso rounded out the top-five in his No. 14 McLaren Honda.

Nico Hülkenberg finished sixth in his No. 27 Sahara Force India Mercedes. Defending race winner Nico Rosberg finished a disappointing seventh in his No. 6 Mercedes. Carlos Sainz Jr. finished eighth in his No. 55 Scuderia Toro Rosso Ferrari. Jenson Button finished ninth in his No. 22 McLaren Honda. Felipe Massa rounded out the top-10 in his No. 19 Williams Mercedes.

The two Haas drivers finished 12th and 13th.

Rosberg leaves in the points lead with teammate Hamilton moving up to second just 22 points back. Mercedes continues to run away with the constructors fight as they lead Ferrari by 67 points.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SpeedwayMedia.com

Tucker White
Tucker White
I've followed NASCAR for well over 20 years of my life, both as a fan and now as a member of the media. As of 2024, I'm on my ninth season as a traveling NASCAR beat writer. For all its flaws and dumb moments, NASCAR at its best produces some of the best action you'll ever see in the sport of auto racing. Case in point: Kyle Larson's threading the needle pass at Darlington Raceway on May 9, 2021. On used-up tires, racing on a worn surface and an aero package that put his car on the razor's edge of control, Larson demonstrated why he's a generational talent. Those are the stories I want to capture and break down. In addition to NASCAR, I also follow IndyCar and Formula 1. As a native of Knoxville, Tennessee, and a graduate of the University of Tennessee, I'm a diehard Tennessee Volunteers fan (especially in regards to Tennessee football). If covering NASCAR doesn't kill me, down the road, watching Tennessee football will. I'm also a diehard fan of the Atlanta Braves, and I lived long enough to see them win a World Series for the first time since 1995 (when I was just a year old). I've also sworn my fan allegiance to the Nashville Predators, though that's not paid out as much as the Braves. Furthermore, as a massive sports dork, I follow the NFL on a weekly basis. Though it's more out of an obligation than genuine passion (for sports dorks, following the NFL is basically an unwritten rule). Outside of sports, I'm a major cinema buff and a weeb. My favorite film is "Blazing Saddles" and my favorite anime is "Black Lagoon."

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