Monaco – Race: The red carpet is rolled out for Vettel

The Formula 1 season reached a climax this Sunday. Indeed, what would it be without the unique charm of the Monaco Grand Prix? As usual, spectators and celebrities came in droves to witness a one-of-a-kind grid. Among them was none other than Nico Rosberg, attending the 75th edition in the Principality as a neighbor.

The reigning world champion is here 😊 #MonacoGP pic.twitter.com/KH4IEJ5OzT

— La F1® sur CANAL (@LaF1SurCanal) May 28

Unique all the more in this edition /f1/actualite/22016-monaco-qualifications-le-grand-retour-de-raikkonen-.html. A first in nine years: a Ferrari started at the front in Monaco. And for once, it was Kimi Räikkönen who seized the pole at the expense of Sebastian Vettel, who was dominant until then. Behind them, the first outsiders were Valtteri Bottas and Max Verstappen. Romain Grosjean started in eighth position; five slots ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who was forced into an attacking race after a calamitous qualifying session.

The last guests were joining the princely balconies as the twenty drivers started their formation lap. As since Thursday morning, the weather conditions were ideal: bright sunshine and especially fifty degrees on the track, a temperature that made cars struggling with their tires shudder.

A departure without trouble

Nine years after a French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours, Kimi Räikkönen led the pack during the warm-up lap. The pleasant surprise was the radio conversation between Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button, a few hours before the Spaniard’s big challenge on the other side of the Atlantic. A “savory” exchange in the text…

📺 ALO (live from 🇺🇸): “Look after my car!”
📺 BUT (in 🇲🇨): “I’m going to pee in your seat…” 😂 #MonacoGP pic.twitter.com/VZiNHxCemX

— Formula 1 (@F1) 28 May

The Grand Prix could begin!

Without flinching, the two Ferraris took off perfectly. Behind them, no major contact was reported. Lewis Hamilton gained a place. Meanwhile, Pascal Wehrlein and Jenson Button were already making a pit stop. Different strategy for the two drivers: the German put on the ultra-softs, while the Englishman switched to the super-softs. Bad maneuver for the Sauber team in the affair as they released their protégé right in front of the luxury substitute. A five-second penalty awaited the former Manor driver at his next stop or at the finish.

Comfortably in control, the Ferrari drivers made a strong start. By the fifth lap, Bottas was pushed beyond a five-second gap. Kimi Räikkönen and Sebastian Vettel were swapping the fastest lap. The main information from a very calm start to the race was that the drivers were following each other closely, protected by a one-second gap.

The 16th lap was completed and Nico Hülkenberg was the first driver affected! The gearbox of the Renault failed at the worst moment, while he was running in tenth position.

YELLOW FLAGS

Major gearbox problems for HUL

His race is over with oil and smoke coming out of the rear of his Renault 😓 #MonacoGP pic.twitter.com/mMrXGKarix — Formula 1 (@F1) 28 May

Also a gray look for his former teammate, who saw his front wing detach from the rest of his vehicle, with a pit stop offered as a bonus. The Mexican took the opportunity to fit the super-soft tires.

The winning bet of Vettel

Above 1:17 on average race pace, Ferrari drivers experienced a slight dip compared to their rivals. Valtteri Bottas consequently closed the gap to under four seconds behind Kimi Räikkönen. The race for the lead became more interesting, especially as the 2007 world champion found himself in traffic while overtaking backmarkers.

As the outsider, the Red Bull team took the gamble of stopping Max Verstappen. The 32nd lap marked the beginning of the wave of pit stops. One lap later, Bottas joined his spot to switch to super-soft tires. The Mercedes driver was promptly followed by the leader! A flawless stop for Iceman, assisted by the good work of his mechanics. However, Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo stayed on the track. In a style reminiscent of Michael Schumacher, the German put in a superb effort during his last five laps.

LAP 40/78: Frustration for RAI as VET emerges from his pit stop ahead of him

The championship leader now leads the #MonacoGP 🇲🇨 pic.twitter.com/OwTjIXteJX

— Formula 1 (@F1) 28 mai /f1/actualite/22016-monaco-qualifications-le-grand-retour-de-raikkonen-.html

Right in the middle of the race, car number 5 took the pit lane. Perfect timing for the Scuderia, which had the quadruple world champion come out in the lead, ahead of his teammate! A great result also for Daniel Ricciardo, who seized third place thanks to a perfectly timed stop.

Consequently, the new top five were as follows: Vettel, Räikkönen, Ricciardo, Bottas, Verstappen. In sixth place, Hamilton had still not stopped after 45 laps of the race. The operation was carried out on the 48th lap. The Mercedes driver limited the damage as best he could by rejoining in seventh position, ahead of Romain Grosjean.

Premature end for Button and Wehrlein

But the star was undoubtedly Sebastian Vettel, who delivered a stunning new series of lap times, pushing his teammate beyond the ten-second gap. In second place, Kimi Räikkönen seemed uncomfortable with the super-soft tires. The Finn saw Daniel Ricciardo closing in on him without being clearly threatened.

The pack was regrouped on the 61st lap following a collision between Wehrlein and Button. A misunderstanding between the two drivers came just as Vettel’s Ferrari was lapping them. With a broken suspension, Jenson Button did not finish the 306th Grand Prix of his career. The Sauber team had a tough time with Marcus Ericsson retiring, crashing into the wall at the first corner. This was due to extremely low brake temperatures, as well as poorly surfaced tarmac.

The race resumed at the 66th lap! On the restart, Pérez caught Vandoorne off guard. Up until then in the points, the Belgian was surprised and pushed to the outside of the first corner. The crash awaited him at the end of the maneuver: frustrating as the tenth place point was in sight for McLaren!

The Force India driver didn’t stop there and tried a forceful move on Kyvat at the Rascasse a few laps later. A bold and costly maneuver this time, as the Mexican had to return to the pits with a damaged front wing. Meanwhile, the Russian was forced to retire due to severe damage to the radiator.

The final lap didn’t change the situation at the front: Sebastian Vettel crossed the finish line as the winner of the Monaco Grand Prix. Hidden in the shadows after the Qualifications, the German managed to make the decisive move to overtake his teammate. This marked the 45th victory of the career for the four-time world champion and, above all, a break in the world championship standings: 129 points on the board, against 104 points for his closest rival. Another important note in the constructors’ battle, Ferrari now holds a 17-point lead over Mercedes. A figure that reveals the Scuderia’s domination this weekend, something that hadn’t happened for 16 years in the Principality.

Daniel Ricciardo climbs back onto the podium, two weeks after Montmelo.

And with his seventh place, Lewis Hamilton secures his worst ranking in Monaco since the 2009 edition.

As a result, the Mercedes team does not finish on the podium. A first since the Spanish Grand Prix last year. And above all, a blow in terms of performance on this very atypical track. The brand with the star will have to recover by Montreal…

PROVISIONAL CLASSIFICATION: The final running order from today’s #MonacoGP 🇲🇨🏎️ pic.twitter.com/Pb3NMJxCXy

— Formula 1 (@F1) 28 mai /f1/actualite/22016-monaco-qualifications-le-grand-retour-de-raikkonen-.html

All smiles in the @ScuderiaFerrari garage and for Sebastian Vettel as he clinches the team’s first #MonacoGP win for 16 years 🇮🇹 🎉 🇩🇪 pic.twitter.com/v4cOocdGcN

— Formula 1 (@F1) 28 mai /f1/actualite/22016-monaco-qualifications-le-grand-retour-de-raikkonen-.html