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[Highlights] Rosberg wins last-gasp Monaco Grand Prix

Nico Rosberg is behind Lewis Hamilton, and is unlikely to come back. (Source: GEPA pictures/Red Bull Content Pool)
Roar Guru
24th May, 2015
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Nico Rosberg has joined an elite group of Formula One drivers with a third straight victory in Monaco, but just like a win on the roulette wheel in the Casino de Monte Carlo, it came with a quite a bit of luck.

Rosberg was gifted the win after a howler from the Mercedes pit-wall, seeing Lewis Hamilton pit with a substantial lead under the safety car, while Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel behind had no plans of making a stop.

Much like Rosberg in 2014, Hamilton had led from pole in a straightforward race, however an incident between Toro Rosso rookie Max Verstappen and Lotus’ Romain Grosjean brought out the safety car, which scuppered plans of an easy win for Hamilton.

Miscommunication between Hamilton and the Mercedes pit-wall led to Hamilton pitting for a new set of option tyres, and all of a sudden Hamilton was stuck behind Vettel in third.

Hamilton noted in the FIA press conference afterwards that the error came from a combination of him seeing images on the big screens of the Mercedes pitcrew ready for a stop, believing that Rosberg and Vettel were pitting, and the team telling him that there was time for a stop.

After a lengthy period behind the safety car, Rosberg was able to pull away from Vettel, while the Ferrari held off Hamilton to split the Mercedes drivers for second place.

After a strong qualifying showing for Red Bull, they were able to finish fourth and fifth, with Daniil Kvyat coming home ahead of Daniel Ricciardo.

Ricciardo was gifted with a free pit stop under the safety car, and Red Bull gambled once he daringly made it past Kimi Raikkonen at Mirabeau for fifth, allowing him to pass Kvyat and make a run for Vettel and Hamilton, with the premise of handing the position back if he couldn’t make it further ahead, doing just that after the final corner.

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Kimi followed the Red Bulls in sixth, with Sergio Perez close behind in seventh for Force India. Jenson Button took home McLaren’s first points for the season with eighth place, although Alonso retired with a gearbox issue.

Felipe Nasr took two points home for Sauber by finishing ninth, as Carlos Sainz was able to finish tenth with a single stop on lap 13, after starting in the pit-lane.

Rosberg’s victory leaves him just 10 points adrift of Hamilton now, while Vettel is 18 points behind Rosberg.

Mercedes extends their lead atop the Constructor’s standings to 70 points ahead of Ferrari, with Williams 51 points further behind after failing to score any points in Monaco.

Leaving Monaco last year there was a lot of discussion regarding tension within Mercedes, and after this year’s Monaco Grand Prix, it seems there will be more of the same before the Canadian Grand Prix in two weeks.

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