Victorious Vettel
German widens lead over Hamilton to 25 points in Monaco as Ferrari clinch first one-two finish since 2010
Sebastian Vettel won the Monaco Grand Prix yesterday to extend his lead over Lewis Hamilton in the championship to 25 points.
Hamilton started only 13th at the Monte Carlo circuit, but recovered to finish seventh on an afternoon of damage limitation following his disastrous qualifying performance on Saturday.
Championship leader Vettel trailed pole-sitter Kimi Raikkonen for the opening phase of the race, but emerged from his one and only pit stop ahead of his Ferrari teammate after stopping later.
Said Vettel of his victory: "It was a very intense race and I had to be patient.
"The pace in the first stint was really tricky. The tyres started to slide. It was quite uncomfortable. But then I had a second attempt.
"I had a couple of laps where the car was feeling really good.
"I pushed everything I had because I knew there would be a chance to win. I was able to use that window and I came out ahead."
Jenson Button, back in Formula 1 as a one-off replacement for Fernando Alonso, was involved in a hair-raising accident after he flipped Pascal Wehrlein's Sauber following an adventurous overtake in the closing stages of the race.
Wehrlein's car was resting precariously on its side on the entrance to the tunnel and the German was trapped in his seat.
The safety car was deployed, and when Wehrlein's car was rolled back on to its four wheels by the marshals, the 22-year-old mercifully emerged without any obvious injury.
Button, in what is likely to be his last race, retired having sustained significant damage to the front left of his McLaren following the crash.
The race resumed six laps after the extraordinary incident, but Daniel Ricciardo, despite kissing the barriers at turn one, held off Valtteri Bottas and Max Verstappen to take the final spot on the podium, while Hamilton was unable to do anything about Carlos Sainz as he crossed the line in a lowly seventh place
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MONACO GRAND PRIX RESULTS
1.Sebastian Vettel - Ferrari 1:44:44.340
2. Kimi Raikkonen - Ferrari +00:03.145
3.Daniel Ricciardo - Red Bull 00:03.745
4. Valtteri Bottas - Mercedes 00:05.517
5.Max Verstappen - Red Bull 00:06.199
6. Carlos Sainz Jr - Toro Rosso 00:12.038
7.Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes 00:15.801
8.Romain Grosjean - Haas 00:18.150
9.Felipe Massa - Williams 00:19.445
10. Kevin Magnussen - Haas 00:21.443
Hamilton, a two-time winner in Monaco, has mysteriously struggled with the handling of his Mercedes car this weekend.
Raikkonen, who had started on pole for the first time in nearly nine years, bossed the early running, but Ferrari's decision to pit him five laps earlier than Vettel scuppered his hopes of winning.
Indeed, it was Vettel who emerged comfortably ahead of his teammate and, despite the late drama, that was how it remained.
It marked Ferrari's first one-two finish since 2010.
Raikkonen said: "I mean obviously it is still second place but it does not feel awfully good." - PA SPORT
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