Rosberg wins at Monte Carlo
May 25, 2014Rosberg led from start to finish on Sunday, coming in 9.2 seconds clear of his British teammate to earn his second consecutive win at Monaco. The victory took him to first in the overall points standing with 122, just ahead of Hamilton on 118.
Australian Daniel Ricciardo of Red Bull took third after chasing Hamilton, who had complained for the final 13 laps that he had something in his eye and couldn't see properly, nose-to-tail for the race's final laps.
"Lewis drove well and pushed me massively hard," Rosberg said after the race. "The pressure was on but I kept it cool and pulled a bit of a gap at the end because of the refreshed tires."
Ferrari's Fernando Alonso took fourth, ahead of Nico Hulkenberg of Force India and McLaren driver Jenson Button.
Sebastian Vettel, who was in his 100th race for Red Bull, was forced to retire after eight laps. The four-time German world champion was unable to remedy a power unit problem in his car.
"It's always something different," Vettel said after withdrawing from the race. "A turbo motor without power isn't a turbo anymore."
Jubilation for Rosberg
It was a relatively straightforward race on Sunday, after the drama surrounding Rosberg's top finish in Saturday's qualifying that sparked accusations of wrongdoing and an official inquiry. Rosberg, who was raised in Monaco, took advantage of his pole position to earn the fifth victory of his career and his second of the season after winning the Australian Grand Prix.
"Wahooooo! Thank you everyone," yelled Rosberg when he crosed the finish line after 78 laps. "This car is really amazing."
It's the tenth time in 11 years the Monaco Grand Prix, a notoriously difficult track for overtaking, has been won from pole positions.
"It's a very special day for sure," said Rosberg. "It was fantastic. I'm very, very happy for the whole team."
The one-two finish for Mercedes' Rosberg and Hamilton builds on the team's already formidable lead atop the Constructors standings with 240 points. Red Bull are second on 99 points, ahead of Ferrari on 78.
dr/tj (AP, AFP, Reuters, dpa, SID)