Hamilton drove one of his finest races to take his first victory since he clinched his third world title in Austin in late October a year ago.
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After Monaco’s result, Nico Rosberg is still leading the World Championship with 106 points, though his team-mate Lewis Hamilton has come close with 82 points.
“It’s such a special number for me and my family”, said Hamilton, who thanked his mechanics.
The combination of the low-speed Monaco track and the treacherous conditions were tailor-made for one of the team’s world champion drivers to claim a big points haul with the auto.
“I would imagine that is the same when you are given Fernando [Alonso] as a driver or Sebastian [Vettel], that’s just how it is”.
“That’s just how it is”. But they have been. This victory in Monaco must be a great relief for them and I am grateful for them for sticking through it, sticking with me.
“I have a auto capable of getting to podiums and victories, it’s a relaxed environment and they give you a lot of confidence”.
“I will sleep easier tonight knowing I set out what I tried to do, getting my first pole”, Ricciardo said.
Both Mercedes cars had a fuel pump issue after Saturday’s qualifying, although Rosberg was not certain what the problem was during the race.
“I had a complete lack of confidence in the vehicle”, said Rosberg, who finished 93 seconds behind his Mercedes team-mate. My 44th win, in Monaco, when I haven’t won in ages…it feels like the greatest blessing. So he deserved his win after such a difficult season – but it was hard not to feel sorry for Ricciardo.
Ricciardo had the latest specification Renault engine in Monaco that Verstappen said he would get at the next race in Canada. “Once I got past it was hammer time”. That was in 2007, when he recorded his first F1 win in a chaotic race which featured Robert Kubica’s spectacular crash.
Rosberg’s actions naturally earned respect from Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff.
Rosberg struggled for pace early on and was told by Mercedes to allow Hamilton into second behind Daniel Ricciardo.
“We pulled away, pitted for inters and we put ourselves in a race with Lewis, which we didn’t need to be in”. Because we now have more pressure than ever on us, with the other teams applying that pressure.
“We needed that win, he needed that win”. But the Australian paid the penalty for a bungled pit stop that cost him victory when his team did not appear ready for him to come in.
“Racing is always about ups and downs and I was ready for the down because I had no expectation of keeping on winning every single race, that’s for sure, which wasn’t the case any way since Barcelona”. We were in a good position as a lot of people were still to pit and we gained a lot of places. Way, way too many people to name in a long career. “I am going to be having fun”.
But it was clear early on that there was a problem with his vehicle. “But I didn’t have to”.
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Wolff said Hamilton’s flawless driving in the wet-and-dry conditions throughout 78 laps of the unforgiving barrier-lined Mediterranean street circuit was “just what the doctor ordered”.
