MAYHEM IN MONACO! Rosberg rules for Mercedes on day of carnage after two safety cars and a red flag... but Lewis misses out on podium with fourth place
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After all the talk of Lewis Hamilton’s pet bulldog, the man who was meant to be his poodle took a bite out of his stellar reputation by winning a Monaco Grand Prix that was still being stalked by controversy as dusk encroached on the Principality last night.
Nico Rosberg’s bark — or really his scream of delight — came over the radio. Once out of his Mercedes, he waved his arms in delight as if he were bringing in the percussion section of the Monaco Philharmonic.
Thirty years after Keke Rosberg triumphed here, Nico had turned them into the first father-son winners of the word’s glitziest motor race.
On top: Nico Rosberg claimed his first win of the season with victory at the Monaco Grand Prix
Uplifting: The German is hoisted aloft after his win on the streets of Monte Carlo
Back on the top step: Sunday's win in Monaco was Rosberg's second victory in Formula One after China last year
Well done: Vettel congratulates his compatriot Rosberg after the race
Time to get wet: Rosberg sprays champagne in celebration after his victory
It was a comprehensive win from pole to flag despite two safety car phases and one red-flag stoppage.
The only complication came after incensed rivals claimed Mercedes had accrued an unfair advantage by conducting a ‘secret’ three-day test in Barcelona last week with tyre suppliers Pirelli. The FIA confirmed last night that they had not sanctioned the extra 600 miles of running, contradicting Mercedes’ claims.
The FIA added that the matter ‘may’ go before a tribunal, at which the race result could be overturned. A fine is more likely, while the docking of points or, in the most extreme case, the team’s exclusion from this year’s championships are other options.
Rosberg, unconcerned by the upheavals convulsing the paddock, wore his history-making achievement modestly. His father, who watched the race from the terrace on top of the Mercedes motorhome, made only the briefest comment to register his controlled delight. He rarely grants interviews about his son, declining with a firm ‘no’ when Sky’s Martin Brundle sought him out for a word on the grid before the race.
From the front: Rosberg started the race on pole and led all the way to pick up 25 points
Appreciation: Rosberg waves to the fans in attendance in Monte Carlo
As for Rosberg’s mother Sina, she did not watch the race, as is her custom. She instead went for a walk some miles from the circuit while the 78 laps unfolded, no doubt hoping that her prodigy would rule the streets on which she took him as a boy to the International School of Nice.
It was fairy-tale stuff for the Rosbergs but another bad day for Hamilton (below), who started second but finished fourth after arriving fractionally too late for a pit stop during the first deployment of the safety car, a mistake for which he apologised.
The shift in the dynamic at Mercedes has been truly remarkable. Hamilton arrived there at the start of the season considered a putative god of the track. Rosberg, although viewed as very able, was not cast in the same light. The disparity was so stark that sane people would have bet their mortgages on the Englishman overshadowing Rosberg.
Hamilton has not managed to do that, no matter that he is 15 points ahead. Hamilton has been out-qualified three times consecutively, with Rosberg delivering pole position each time. Furthermore, the German has suffered two technical retirements and was told, in Malaysia, to hold position rather than challenge Hamilton for third place.
Why this reversal? One theory is that this year’s Mercedes does not suit Hamilton, having been moulded to Rosberg’s needs prior to his signing for the team. The car is hard on its tyres in any event, a problem exacerbated by Hamilton’s propensity to destroy his rubber faster than most.
But his problems may well run deeper. Hamilton is without the intimate, deep and often unseen support he received at McLaren. He is instead in a foreign environment. Yes, there are British engineers and mechanics galore, but walk into the motorhome on a race weekend and it is populated largely by Germans.
On the podium: Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber came home second and third for Red Bull
How unsettling it can be for a driver to be in an ‘alien’ place was illustrated by Fernando Alonso during his brief, unhappy sojourn at McLaren in 2007: he was in Hamilton’s world then. In line with what I argued in this space on Saturday, the newfound freedom that allows him to wear tattoos and walk a dog to work are not in themselves adequate compensation for what he has lost. He is still a brilliant driver — perhaps the very quickest on his day — and may turn his fortunes around a fortnight hence in Montreal.
But the concerns are real, not because he is driving poorly but because he is falling short of the stratospheric expectations we had for him. Disconsolately, he admitted he must ‘re-evaluate and move on’.
The race itself was enlivened by three crashes. The first and most serious befell Felipe Massa at Sainte Devote on lap 30, with early indications suggesting a technical fault was to blame. He was taken to Princess Grace Hospital but discharged with a painful neck. Another crash, which saw Max Chilton turn his Marussia car on Pastor Maldonado’s Williams, brought about a red flag and a 25-minute delay. Chilton was handed a drive-through penalty but still finished 14th, the best result of his six-race career.
Again: Felipe Massa crashed out of the race at turn one following his collision at the same place on Saturday
Bad weekend: Massa missed qualifying on Saturday after colliding with the barriers at turn one in FP3
The third accident involved Roman Grosjean inexplicably driving his Lotus over the top of Daniel Ricciardo. A yellow flag ensued. The Frenchman deserved the 10-place grid penalty he will serve in Montreal.
All the while Rosberg was serene, which was more than can be said for Sergio Perez, who drove his McLaren with an admirable elan that occasionally bordered on the reckless. He finally clipped Kimi Raikkonen, causing the Finn to pit again and claim only a single point that hardly helped his championship ambitions.
Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel, therefore, extended his lead to 21 points by coming second. His team-mate Mark Webber was third. Of the other Brits, Jenson Button was sixth and Paul di Resta an impressive ninth.
Collision: Pastor Maldonado was taken to a medical centre for checks after crashing his Williams
But while Rosberg, 28, was changing into his black tie for the traditional dinner hosted by Prince Albert last night, talk turned to the issue of Mercedes’ testing. The views of the two teams who lodged a complaint, Ferrari and Red Bull, were best summed up by the latter’s motor sport consultant, Helmut Marko, who said: ‘We are very unhappy. When we test for three days, we go a second faster.’
If Mercedes believe their test was sanctioned and beyond reproach, why did team principal Ross Brawn not talk openly about the test? Instead, their covert operation only leaked out on Saturday night at a drivers’ meeting.
So even as Monaco looked a picture, who could say it wasn’t living up to its billing as a sunny place for shady people?
Interrupted: The safety care was out on track three times during an eventful afternoon
Stopped: The race was red flagged after 46 laps following Maldonado's crash
Frustrated: Lewis Hamilton was made to settle for fourth following a mis-timed pit stop behind the safety car
Lost ground on Vettel: Kimi Raikkonen (left) finished 10th and Fernando Alonso (right) seventh
Change of scene: Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas posed for a picture with Eddie Jordan
The Hoff: Actor David Hasselhoff and his girlfriend Hayley Roberts enjoyed the hospitality
Nice to meet you: Hasselhoff joined triple world champion Vettel on the grid
Having fun? Actress Cameron Diaz was in attendance in Monte Carlo
Dressed to impress: Nicole Scherzinger
Guest appearance: Amanda Holden
Hollywood star: Actor and director Michael Douglas arrives in the paddock
Two-wheeled power: Moto GP rider Valentino Rossi meets F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone
Peace: Broadcaster Chris Evans enjoys himself on the track before the race
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/formulaone/article-2331180/Nico-Rosberg-wins-Monaco-Grand-Prix-ahead-Sebastian-Vettel-Mark-Webber-Lewis-Hamilton-fourth.html#ixzz2UWivHnY5
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