So that’s it. After a thrilling and tenacious drive, Lewis Hamilton has his first win of the season and will be looking to build on this victory at the Canadian Grand Prix (10-12 June). Poor Daniel Ricciardo, undone by poor pit-stop strategy in Barcelona, is once again the victim of abject incompetence by Red Bull, and the inquest into that fluffed tyre change will surely rage long and hard. As for Justin Bieber, the less said the better. Thanks for reading and enjoy the rest of your Sunday.
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Here’s a full report on the race.
Let’s look at the points situation, not least for the benefit of Scott Adare, who is watching from an RV park in rural Montana. Having started the day 43 points adrift of Nico Rosberg, Hamilton now stands a much healthier 24 points behind his team-mate. Rosberg has 106 points, Hamilton 82, while Ricciardo stands third on 66 points. Kimi Raikkonen is five points further adrift in fourth, Vettel is fifth with 60 points, and Max Verstappen is sixth on 38 points.
So Lewis Hamilton ends his losing streak at eight. What a drive that was. Throughout, the Briton had the courage of his convictions: he continued on the wet weather tyres for longer than seemed possible, then repeated the feat in spades on ultra-soft ones. As Hamilton put it: “That was the longest run, it was crazy how long it was. Probably the last lap was the time they were about to drop off.” Alternatively, as Barbara writes: “Hoorah for Hamilton! Fabulous win. Thrilled with the result!”
Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s motorsport consultant, is in sullen mood at trackside. “We presented it to Mercedes,” reflects the Austrian, alluding darkly to “a lot of misunderstanding and miscommunication.”
“It was a human mistake. We’ll make an investigation and tell you more. I feel really sorry [for Daniel Ricciardo], and we will apologise to him,” says Marko.
British fans are more upbeat, however, and none more so than Inga and Keith Davis-Rutter. “Husband and I are sitting in San Sebastian in Spain on holiday watching the Grand Prix from a distance outside a bar. Your live feed has made the race for us! Brilliant commentary. Many thanks! (And hurrah for Hamilton!).” You’re welcome, Inga!
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“The message from today, for everyone, is to never give up,” says Hamilton, who says he hasn’t even considered the broader ramifications of the result as yet. Don’t you believe it. He may not know the exact numbers, but he’ll appreciate better than anyone that his season has just taken a major upward turn.
“It was an amazing race and I’m extremely happy,” says Perez.
“Two weekends in a row of being screwed and it sucks … It hurts, it hurts … I don’t have anything else to say, to be honest.” So says Daniel Ricciardo, who nonetheless adds that his team called him in and should have been ready with those tyres. Ouch.
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Hamilton speaks: “Thank God that today went as I hoped … A big thank you to my team for providing me with a car that helped me see it through to the end; I feel truly blessed … It was crazy how long that run was [on the soft tyres] … Big congratulations to Daniel, he raced phenomenally all weekend.”
Hamilton, who received the silverware from Prince Albert of Monaco and almost let it slip from his gleeful grasp, sprays the champers over all and sundry. Ricciardo, though, is a study in contrasting emotions. He looks utterly crushed.
All smiles from Hamilton as the anthems are played with the union flag in pride of place for the first time in 2016. Bizarrely, he was congratulated by Justin Bieber as he left his car. Seriously, that guy gets everywhere.
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Ricciardo looks rueful, and well he might. That catastrophic pit stop cost him the race; oh, to be a fly on the wall at the Red Bull debrief.
Top five placings: Hamilton, Ricciardo, Perez, Vettel, Alonso.
Just as in 2008, Hamilton starts in third and prevails in wet conditions. And so history repeats itself. That’s the Briton’s first win of the season and it was richly deserved.
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Lewis Hamilton wins the Monaco Grand Prix!
Lap 78: Lewis Hamilton wins the Monaco grand prix! Daniel Ricciardo is second, ahead of Sergio Perez in third.
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Lap 77: In tricky conditions, Hamilton is a lap away from his second victory in Monaco. Ricciardo, meanwhile, is comfortable in second, with Perez third.
Lap 76: As Hamilton storms past the moored super yachts, Ricciardo cuts the Briton’s lead to 3.5 seconds. But hold on, what’s this? Rain? It is, you know. Could there be a late twist?
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Lap 75: With three laps to go, Hamilton’s lead now stands at just under four seconds. Perez and Vettel continue to dispute third spot on the podium.
Lap 72: “Thanks for the updates today!” writes Nick West. “I’m sunning myself in a nice park in Chippenham along with a couple of cold ones, enjoying your updates, sounds like a great race.” Thanks, Nick, it is indeed. And if you’re a Lewis Hamilton fan, it could soon get even better …
Lap 71: Hamilton records the fastest lap of the race; he’s 2.65 seconds of Ricciardo, who – for now, at least – can only bide his time. Still, Hamilton has been more accustomed to dealing with technical problems than defending a lead this season, and this is by no means a done deal.
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Lap 70: Hamilton, Ricciardo, Perez, Vettel, Alonso, Rosberg …
Lap 69: The man from Pirelli is apparently surprised Hamilton has got this far on those soft tyres. Watch this space …
Lap 68: Something has flown off a balcony near the finish line, and the virtual safety car briefly comes into play. It doesn’t last long, but Perez seems to lose about four and a half seconds on Ricciardo in second. The Aussie is about two and a half seconds behind Hamilton.
Lap 65: As the storm clouds gather, Vettel almost comes a cropper. Massenet, in front of him, will be mighty relieved.
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Lap 64: For all Rosberg’s unaccustomed struggles here – he’s still languishing in sixth – it’s looking as though Mercedes could prevail again. Not quite the shot in the arm that neutral observers might have wanted but, for all Hamilton’s enterprise, Ricciardo and his Red Bull are still very much in contention.
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Lap 63: What an exciting race, with the leaders still pushing each other hard, rain on the way and just 15 laps remaining. Will Hamilton be able to nurse those tyres over the line? Can Ricciardo find a way through? The top two are pulling away, and the slightest lapse of concentration could be decisive now.
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Lap 60: With another shower apparently looming as we head for the business end of the race it’s, um, a race against time. Hamilton is 1.404 seconds ahead of Ricciardo, with Perez’s Force India still going great guns in third. From there it’s Vettel, Alonso and Rosberg who make up the top six.
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Lap 59: With 27 laps on the ultra-soft tyres behind him, Hamilton continues to lead. Ricciardo remains unable to find a way through, and it’s a masterclass in controlled driving from the Briton.
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Lap 54: Looks like Ericsson is out too. Comedy of errors.
Lap 53: Nasr is out. Moral of the story? Don’t ignore team orders. Meanwhile, Ricciardo tries to edge past Hamilton again, but the Briton keeps him at bay.
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Lap 52: With smoke emerging from his car, Nasr pits again.
Lap 51: Having sustained damage, both Saubers pit. Meanwhile, Hamilton keeps it steady at the front.
Laps 46-50: Hamilton is in the clear after that Ricciardo incident, with no further action to be taken. Wehrlein is slapped with a 10-second penalty, however, after a time infringement during an earlier virtual safety car period. Speaking of virtual safety cars, we’re at that point again after Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr collide, the latter having paid no heed to an order to let his team-mate pass. Oh dear.
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Lap 45: Sergio Perez is going strong in third, but this is still all about Hamilton-Ricciardo for now. Victory would leave the Briton 26 points adrift of Rosberg, who must be getting deeply frustrated back in sixth.
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Lap 44: You sense that the Hamilton-Ricciardo incident, which is now under investigation, is likely to be a big talking point come the end of this race. For the time being, though, Hamilton remains the man to beat. But how long can he continue on those ultra-soft tyres?
Lap 43: With the top four of Hamilton, Ricciardo, Perez and Vettel pulling away, there’s a gap opening up going back to Alonso in fifth.
Lap 42: Hamilton continues to go well on the ultra-soft tyres, and remains about two seconds ahead of Ricciardo. After a damp squib of a start, this is really hotting up.
Lap 38: Miscommunication was apparently behind Ricciardo’s bungled and potentially costly pit stop. It cost the Australian the lead, and there are signs that his temper is fraying as he battles to get past Hamilton. A timely message from Ricciardo’s team tells him to keep his head together and remember that he’s quicker. Sound advice.
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Lap 37: Ricciardo attempts to get past Hamilton, but the world champion is having none of it. That was close: the Australian’s front wing was level with Hamilton’s rear tyre, the Briton having momentarily veered off the road. Meanwhile, Perez is up to third. From there, it’s Vettel, Alonso, Rosberg, Hulkenberg, Sainz, Button and Gutierrez.
Lap 36: Rosberg is down to sixth, having lost out to Vettel when they pitted earlier. Alonso is up into fifth.
Lap 35: Verstappen is out! And so is the virtual safety car. The Dutchman locks a brake and goes careering into the barrier. He’s certainly conscious, because he spoke just after the incident, but he’s still sat in his car. Let’s hope he’s OK.
Lap 34: Ricciardo makes a move to regain the lead, but Hamilton sees him coming and blocks off the line. Close.
Lap 33: Sergio Perez is going brilliantly in third, but it’s Hamilton who leads despite almost coming a cropper as he locks up going into a bend.
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Laps 29-32: Finally, on lap 32, Hamilton pits. It sparks something of a scramble for the pits, not least from Ricciardo. But, sensationally, the Aussie’s tyres aren’t ready! Cue a frantic scramble among the Red Bull team. He re-emerges quicker than might have been expected, but Ricciardo is not a happy man, and rightly so. Hamilton assumes the lead and that’s a big blow for Red Bull man.
Lap 28: Ricciardo is about half a second behind Hamilton. Rosberg third. Perez fourth from Vettel in fifth.
Lap 27: For all Hamilton’s boldness, Ricciardo is eating into his lead with each passing lap. Word is that Rosberg was having brake issues earlier on, which perhaps goes some way to explaining the Briton’s struggles to pass his team-mate. Still, the world champion will have to make a move for the pits soon, surely?
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Lap 26: Hamilton continues to forge ahead, with Ricciardo right on his tail. The track looks ever drier. Rosberg remains third.
Lap 25: As Verstappen carves his way into the leading 10, Hamilton declines an invitation to pit. Is he planning to go straight to slicks once the track is dry enough? It’s a real battle of wits out there. But Ricciardo is making up ground behind him.
Lap 24: Ricciardo finally pits, allowing Hamilton to assume the lead. But the Briton is still on wets, while a dozen or so cars behind him are now on intermediates.
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Lap 23: Hamilton is going well in second place, while Verstappen continues to make up ground further down the field.
Lap 22: Ricciardo and Hamilton still on wets, with the rest of the top 10 on intermediates. Who will blink first?
Lap 21: Rosberg pits. Verstappen records his fastest lap. Meanwhile, Kyvat is under investigation after an incident on turn 18, of which more in a mo …
Lap 20: With the conditions wreaking havoc behind him, Ricciardo’s grin must be getting wider and wider. Still, a long way to go …
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Lap 19: Further down the field, Verstappen is making up ground in impressive fashion. He’s up to 15th now. Ricciardo still leads, by just under 13 seconds.
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Lap 18: As Rosberg falls off the pace, word is that he was told to let Hamilton through …
Lap 17: We narrowly avoid another prang as Hulkenberg almost barrels into the back of Vettel. Hamilton records his fastest lap of the race. Ricciardo leads, with Rosberg still in third and Sainz fourth. Massa is sixth with Vettel, Hulkenberg and Alonso hot on his heels.
Lap 16: Hamilton is making his presence felt. He’s managed to find a way past Rosberg, but remains about 13 seconds behind Ricciardo, who is doing a fine job of leading from the front.
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Lap 15: Alonso pits. Vettel is back in 10th at the moment. To return to that 12th-lap incident, it appears Raikkonen was too slow in hitting the brakes as he went into the hairpin. His Ferrari locked up, sending him into the barrier, and he blocked off Grosjean, who then clipped the wall.
Lap 14: Vettel pits. Button still going well.
Lap 13: Ricciardo 10 seconds ahead. Massa runs over some debris from Raikkonen’s car.
Lap 12: Ricciardo is building up a decent gap at the front, while Lewis Hamilton is desperately trying to negotiate a path around Rosberg, who is apparently in no mood to comply.
Lap 11: As Ricciardo sets the fastest lap of the race, Grosjean and Raikkonen both run into trouble, with the front of the latter’s car basically hanging off. Raikkonen hit the wall, Massa nearly barrelled into the back of him – looks like the Brazilian’s front wing was damaged – and Grosjean was caught in the crossfire. That’s my initial impression, at least, without the benefit of a replay so far. Meanwhile, far from the madding crowd, Button is going well.
Lap 10: With Rosberg looking like he could do with a change of tyres, we’re racing again. First three unchanged.
Lap 9: Button and Massa pit. Most but not all of the debris from Palmer’s Renault – which seemed to skid on a zebra crossing before hitting the barrier – has been cleared from the track.
Lap 8: Magnussen pits. Renault perhaps think it’s dry enough for a change of tyres. That’s a risk, surely, at this stage. Jolyon Palmer has crashed out, though, and the virtual safety car is in play. The front of his car, which is being hoisted off the track, is a real mess.
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Lap 7: As the seventh lap ends, the green flag comes up and we’re off in earnest!
Lap 6: Lewis Hamilton is champing at the bit behind his team-mate Nico Rosberg. Another driver calls for things to start in earnest. Surely we’ll be underway soon? There’s no standing water on the track, and at this rate tyres will be cooling fast.
Lap 5: Then again, what do I know? Kevin Magnussen has just declared that the track is ready, the first driver to do so, and the sun is peering through. Happy days!
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Lap 4: Still nothing much to report. The safety car prevails and there’s not much chatter among the drivers to suggest that’s about to change.
Lap 3: A disappointingly tame start, then. The safety car continues to sweep all before it. What an odd feeling it must be to be behind the wheel of that vehicle! Still, there are no obvious safety issues so far. How long before we start racing in earnest? And how much will Ricciardo be loving this?
Lap 2: Kyvat pits after some kind of technical problem. Looks like a change of steering wheel. He’s a lap down already. Blimey. Meanwhile, no change at the front of the race, with Ricciardo leading from Rosberg and Hamilton.
Lap 1: They only just got all the cars off the grid by the time the safety car had completed its first lap. Ricciardo leads. Obviously.
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We're off!
With the spray splashing up, it’s a safety car start, the first time that’s happened in Monaco. Stand by for 78 laps of mayhem.
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Talking further of unpredictability, the emergence of Red bull is a real boon for a sport that has languished for too long in the shadow of Mercedes. Last time out, of course, Rosberg and Hamilton took each other out, paving the way for a new winner. In Monaco, though, it’s been a level playing field and Red Bull heads the field by right.
Talking of unpredictability, after events in Barcelona it seems odd to see Verstappen, Ricciardo’s Red Bull team-mate, down in 21st. But a heavy crash at the Swimming Pool complex in final qualifying effectively put paid to the teenager’s prospects of building on that brilliant debut win.
First things first: here are the leading positions after qualifying in full. The race is scheduled to start at 12.55pm in Monaco, where it’s raining – which should add a whole new level of unpredictability to the proceedings.
1 Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) Red Bull 1min 13.622secs
2 Nico Rosberg (Ger) Mercedes GP 1:13.791
3 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1:13.942
4 Sebastian Vettel (Ger )Ferrari 1:14.552
5 Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) Force India 1:14.726
6 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 1:14.732
7 Carlos Sainz (Spa) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:14.749
8 Sergio Perez (Mex) Force India 1:14.902
9 Daniil Kvyat (Rus) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:15.273
10 FernandoAlonso (Spa) McLaren 1:15.363
11 Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Williams 1:15.273
12 Esteban Gutierrez (Mex) Haas F1 1:15.293
13 Jenson Button (Gbr) McLaren 1:15.352
14 Felipe Massa (Bra) Williams 1:15.385
15 Romain Grosjean (Fra) Haas F1 1:15.571
16 Kevin Magnussen (Den) Renault 1:16.058
17 Marcus Ericsson (Swe) Sauber-Ferrari 1:16.299
18 Jolyon Palmer (Gbr) Renault 1:16.586
19 Rio Haryanto (Ina) Manor Racing 1:17.295
20 Pascal Wehrlein (Ger) Manor Racing 1:17.452
21 Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull 1:22.467
22 Felipe Nasr (Bra) Sauber-Ferrari No Time
Note: Kimi Raikkonen has a five-place grid penalty due to an unscheduled gearbox change and will start 11th
Good afternoon and welcome
Ah, Monaco: land of yachts, squillionaires, and the most glamorous, challenging race on the F1 circuit. For the past three years, Nico Rosberg has owned his hometown race and, after qualifying in second spot, the German will fancy his chances of adding another distinguished chapter to a family history that began in 1983 when his father, Keke, won in the municipality. Standing in his way, though, is Daniel Ricciardo, the amiable Aussie who scorched through qualifying, propelled by an engine upgrade and an acute sense of injustice, to claim pole position.
Ricciardo, deeply frustrated after a change of pit stop strategy cost him the Spanish Grand Prix, has the air of a man on a mission – and with his reinvigorated Red Bull absolutely flying so far in Monaco, the rest of the field will have their work cut out. That includes Britain’s Lewis Hamilton, who has only won once on this circuit – as long ago as 2008 – and starts in third place today.
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