Lewis Hamilton, kissed the red cockpit protection in honor of Niki Lauda and taught the first words after his “toughest race” to the dead formula 1 legend.
“I have fought with the spirit of Niki”, said Hamilton after his victory at the Monaco Grand Prix and took a dip in the Pool at the race track: “I know he’s looking down on us, I wanted to make him proud.”
While Hamilton after the award ceremony, as wild with the champagne bottle from the pedestal-notch, and Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff abduschte, offered his German period-Challenger Sebastian Vettel in Prince Albert a swig from the Magnum bottle, and chatted in a relaxed state with his wife Charlène.
Vettel went, ultimately, to second place and was excited about the best result in this season. “A great result for us,” said the 31-Year-old and thought, in view of the thrilling race to Lauda: “He’d be happy. He will always be in thoughts with us.”
Despite the utmost care of his tyres Hamilton fought back in a thrilling final phase, all attacks of tracker Max Verstappen and dragged himself to his 77. Career victory. In one of the most exciting races for many years in the Principality, the Dutchman fell back in his Red Bull due to a Five-second penalty, but behind Vettel and Valtteri Bottas in the second Mercedes. The race stewards took a touch between Hamilton and Verstappen in the penultimate round under the microscope.
In the sixth Grand Prix of the year, Mercedes missed the sixth double success, Hamilton (137 points) extended his championship lead on pursuers Bottas (120), however. Vettel is up to 82 points, now third.
local hero Charles Leclerc was only the beginning of something: After a tactical wayward qualification of its full risk-catch-up race ended as a result of a collision with Nico Hulkenberg in the Renault ahead of time. Hulkenberg ended up relegated to Position 14.
in order To 14.53 at it was still in the Principality. With a minute of silence, the formula took 1 farewell to Lauda, who died on Monday at the age of 70 years. The pilots gathered on the Start-finish Straight in a circle around a previous helmet of the Austrian and wearing red caps with the white inscription “NIKI”. Mercedes painted in honor of his many years of team Supervisory Board, among other things, the cockpit protection of the silver arrows red it was the color of the legendary cap of Lauda. As the minute’s silence was over, sounded the horns of the yachts in the harbour.
“This is Niki”, had Hamilton after the 85. Pole Position of his career, said. To the mythical round of the Englishman in track record time, neither Bottas were in the second Mercedes, nor Red Bull driver Max Verstappen.
After Vettel had wrecked in the final practice, the Front of his Ferrari, he had to start after a mistake under braking and guard rail contact of the space four. His team mate Leclerc was a strategic disaster, as it the command bridge sent again to the track, only the Position 15 in the classic on the Côte d’azur. “You have to drive your race and take advantage of any opportunity,” said Scuderia team boss Mattia Binotto to the prospects of his Duos.
Hamilton, who like Vettel with a special livery on his helmet in memory of Lauda, came off the Start well. Behind, Bottas had to fend off the same fall to an early attack of verse, was not able to push in the first bend but over.
After six rounds of hülkenberg’s stable rival Daniel Ricciardo was Fifth in a Renault, almost 20 seconds behind Hamilton from the leading Quartet. Leclerc drove in a collision with Hulkenberg and demo the modelled sub-floor. The shreds of the tyre distributed on the 3,337 km short course, the Safety Car came out in circulation eleven. In the pit lane, it was really tough: Verstappen overtook Bottas after the tire change, behind Vettel lurked. “He has me pressed into the wall”, dam of the Finn, on the risky maneuver of the Dutchman.
Bottas finished a plate on the right front tire, Verstappens action was punished with a time penalty of five seconds. Leclerc had to Park his Ferrari on lap 18 after a completely miserable weekend disappointed in the Garage. Hamilton made meanwhile, at the top of the shelf-life of his Medium Tyres, especially the left front tyre of sorrow brought to him. Just 2.5 seconds between the top riders and the hard mixes-propelled Verstappen, Vettel and Bottas.
With his Five-second-mortgage Verstappen continued to keep the pressure on the five-time world champion. “I might have the wrong type of tyre”, criticised Hamilton, who was always more into “big problems”. His race engineer Peter Bonnington assured him that he was on the right strategy. Verstappen was hoping that him while Lapping from the 48. Round, an opportunity would offer, to Hamilton overtake.
The 34-Year-old remained in this pack of two battle front. “I don’t know what you hoped, as you’ve raised these tires. You have to hope for a miracle,” whined Hamilton yet. “Lewis, you can do it, if you don’t trust us,” the command stand. Two laps before the end the two rivals touched, even Hamilton had to skip the Chicane even. He saved himself, but first to the finish.
dpa
