Lewis Hamilton wins the Monaco Grand Prix for Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton wins the Monaco Grand Prix for Mercedes

Monaco Grand Prix results: Lewis Hamilton wins for Mercedes to pay tribute to the late Niki Lauda


Lewis Hamilton produced a superb drive on dodgy tyres, and survived a late collision with Max Verstappen to win an eventful Monaco Grand Prix in a perfect tribute to Niki Lauda.

Hamilton, sporting a one-off red helmet in tribute to the Mercedes non-executive chairman who died on Monday, tippy-toed his way to the chequered flag on shot tyres, claiming a nail-biting victory - his third on Monte Carlo's famous streets.

With three laps remaining, Verstappen delivered a gung-ho move for glory on the high-speed exit of the tunnel and into the chicane - Verstappen's right-front wheel hitting Hamilton's rear left in a flurry of sparks.

But both men made it to the finish.

Hamilton spent much of the race taking aim at his Mercedes team for putting him on the less-durable medium tyres during the only round of stops.

"I don't know what you were thinking," he said to them over the radio with 20 laps remaining. "You need to hope for a miracle."

Yet, despite Red Bull's Verstappen hustling him all the way, and then banging wheels, Hamilton somehow managed to hold on, emulating his 2008 and 2016 victories at the principality.

Verstappen was demoted to fourth after he was hit with a five-second penalty following an earlier collision in the pit lane with Valtteri Bottas.

That promoted Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel to second with Bottas completing the podium places.

Hamilton is now 17 points clear of Bottas in his quest for a sixth world title.

Hamilton blasted away from his marks to keep team-mate Bottas at bay and the fast-starting Verstappen, too.

Down the field, Charles Leclerc was a man on a mission - the Monegasque having started a lowly 15th after a Ferrari miscalculation in qualifying ensured he was eliminated in Q1.

Leclerc had made up three places by lap nine, executing a marvellous move on Romain Grosjean at Rascasse.

But just one lap later, his race was over. The young Ferrari driver attempted the same overtake at the impossibly tight right-hander, but slammed into Renault's Nico Hulkenberg and sustained a right-rear puncture. He would retire from the resulting damage.

Debris from Leclerc's tyre littered the track, and out went the safety car. In came Hamilton, Bottas, Verstappen and Vettel. In contrast to Hamilton, Verstappen and Vettel took on the hardest tyre compound available.

Verstappen meanwhile, got the jump on Bottas. The pair banged wheels, and Bottas was forced up against the wall.

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