LEWIS Hamilton took a superb victory in a close battle with Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo in a thrilling Monaco Grand Prix to re-ignite his title campaign.Hamilton’s first win this year cut his deficit to Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg, who finished seventh, to 24 points.
The world champion benefited from a slow pit stop for Ricciardo but also from his own brave call to delay a tyre change on a drying track until he could go straight to slick tyres.
He then had to defend from Ricciardo for 45 laps to win.
It was a masterclass of defensive driving that at times recalled McLaren’s Ayrton Senna holding off the faster Williams of Nigel Mansell in the closing stages of this race in 1992, a battle that has gone down in Formula 1 folklore.]
How did Hamilton do it?
The race started behind the safety car on a soaking track and victory hinged on Hamilton’s decision to ignore his team’s request to come in to switch to ‘intermediate’ wet tyres, as a step between the full wets on which everyone had started the race and the untreated slicks.
He was the only driver to do that and the decision ensured he moved into the lead after starting third behind Ricciardo and Rosberg.
Mercedes said the decision was a joint one between driver and pit wall.
When the race started on lap eight, Ricciardo quickly built a huge lead as Rosberg struggled in the difficult conditions, for which Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff said was due to not being able to generate the correct tyre temperature.
“I’m kind of lost for words,” said Hamilton. “I prayed for a day like this and it came through, so I feel truly blessed.
“That was the longest run. It was crazy how long it was, to understand how much wheel spin you were allowed, because you don’t know how long the tyres are going to go.
“Daniel drove phenomenally all weekend and it was a lot of pressure. I’m sure he’s not too happy but he should proud of the way he drove.”
Ricciardo stopped on the very next lap – choosing the slightly harder super-softs -and would have re-taken the lead but for the fact that he was delayed in the pits because Red Bull did not have his tyres ready.
Agonisingly for Ricciardo, Hamilton passed him as he came out of the pits to rejoin the race.
Hamilton had some scary moments as Ricciardo attacked for the rest of the race, none more so than on lap 37, following a restart after one of many virtual safety car period, this one for a heavy crash for the second Red Bull of Max Verstappen.
It was the third crash in two days on a chastening weekend for the Dutchman, who won in Spain on his debut for Red Bull last time out.