Race Notes - Rosberg wins Monaco GP again

Nico Rosberg won the Monaco Grand Prix for the third straight year in his Mercedes GP, after leader Lewis Hamilton was told to make a pitstop during a late race Safety Car when Max Verstappen crashed.

Sebastian Vettel finished in second place in his Ferrari, while Hamilton finished in third place.

Daniil Kvyat (11.9s) in the Red Bull-Renault finished in fourth place, followed by his team mate Daniel Ricciardo (13.6s) in fifth, Kimi Raikkonen (14.3s) in the Ferrari was sixth, Sergio Perez (15.0s) in the Force India-Mercedes was seventh, Jenson Button (16.0s) in the McLaren-Honda scored their first points of the year in eighth, Felipe Nasr (23.6s) in the Sauber-Ferrari was ninth, and Carlos Sainz (25.0s) in the Toro Rosso-Renault scored the final point in tenth place.

A nice sunny day before the start Hamilton and Rosberg sit on the first row, Vettel in the Ferrari and Ricciardo in the Red Bull on the second row, Kvyat and Raikkonen on the third row, Perez and Maldonado on the fourth row and rookie Verstappen and Button rounding out the top ten.

Sainz in the Toro Rosso will start from the pitlane after missing a weigh-in during qualifying yesterday. Grosjean starts in 15th after a grid penalty for a gearbox change.

Most drivers will be on a one-stop strategy with pitstops coming between 25 to 30 laps of the 78 lap race. Most drivers starting on supersoft tyres.

At the appointed hour the grid clears and the cars begin the formation lap for the most important race on the F1 calendar.

The cars come to the grid and the lights go out, and the race begins with Hamilton taking the lead from Rosberg, Vettel, Kvyat passing Ricciardo.

Nico Hulkenberg hits and Alonso touch and Hulkenberg hits the wall at Mirabeau. Massa pits with a problem with his nose damaged. Hulkenberg pits as well.

On lap 2 Hamilton sets fast lap at 1m20.852s, and leads Rosberg by 1.7 seconds.

Sainz after starting from the pitlane is up to 16th place.

On lap 4 Hulkenberg on fresh tyres sets fast lap at 1m20.220s.

Maldonado is complaining of brake trouble. Verstappen attacks him at the first corner and takes eighth place.

Alonso is given a five-second penalty for an earlier collision with Hulkenberg.

On lap 8 Maldonado continues to have brake problems and pits the team retires the car.

Yellow flags are out at the chicane as there is debris on the track, which the marshals clear.

Mercedes tells Hamilton to be aware that his front-left brake is running a bit hot.

At lap 10 Hamilton leads his team mate Rosberg by 3.1 seconds, followed by Vettel (5.0s), Kvyat (8.6s), Ricciardo (10.9s), Raikkonen (12.7s), Perez (15.0s), Verstappen (22.1s), Button (26.6s) and Alonso (30.0s) in tenth place.

On lap 13 Sainz pits from 15th place switching to soft tyres.

On lap 15 Hamilton radios the team asking, ‘what can I do to save these brakes?‘Ï

Bottas and Ericsson both pit.

Hulkenberg passes Merhi for 17th. Sainz passes Stevens for 15th.

Vettel is closing on Rosberg in second place.

On lap 17 Hamilton sets fast lap at 1m20.077s.

On lap 18 Grosjean pits from 12th place switching to soft tyres. Nasr pits the next lap.

At lap 20 Hamilton continues to lead Rosberg by 4.1 seconds followed by Vettel (5.8s), Kvyat (11.4s), Ricciardo (14.7s), Raikkonen (16.7s), Perez (20.6s), Verstappen (24.4s), Button (30.2s) and Alonso (35.6s) in tenth place.

On lap 20 Hamilton sets fast lap at 1m19.869 seconds - and then again the next lap at 1m19.807s.

Mercedes radios to Rosberg to get a gap on Vettel behind him to assure that the Ferrari does not get ahead on the pitstop.

On lap 27 Ricciardo complains that his rear tyres are going away.

On lap 29 Kvyat pits from fourth place switching to soft tyres, rejoining in ninth. Verstappen pits from eighth place, but has a slow stop with a problem on the right-rear tyre.

On lap 30 Hamilton sets fast lap at 1m19.748s.

At lap 30 Hamilton leads Rosberg by 9.0s, followed by Vettel (10.6s), Ricciardo (20.6s), Raikkonen (21.6s), Perez (29.0s), Button (38.1s), Kvyat (39.1s), Alonso (44.1s) and Nasr (70.2s) in tenth place.

On lap 33 Hulkenberg pits again. Alonso pits and takes his five-second penalty before the team works on the McLaren. He rejoins still in ninth ahead of Nasr.

On lap 35 Raikkonen closes on Ricciardo in fourth place.

Button tells his team that he is struggling with his rear tyres. He then pits from seventh

On lap 36 Vettel pits from third place for soft tyres, Ricciardo and Perez pit as well.

Rosberg pits on the next lap for soft tyres, coming out ahead of Vettel. Raikkonen pits as well, coming out ahead of Ricciardo.

Hamilton pits the next lap from the lead switching to soft tyres, and remaining out front of the field. All drivers have now made at least one stop.

On lap 38 Rosberg sets fast lap at 1m19.716s, and again the next lap at 1m19.504s.

At lap 40 Hamilton still leads Rosberg by 7.6 seconds, followed by Vettel (9.7s), Kvyat (21.5s), Raikkonen (26.3s), Ricciardo (27.5s), Perez (36.7s), Button (41.8s), Alonso (56.5s) and Nasr (63.3s) in tenth.

On lap 41 Hamilton set fast lap at 1m18.676s. Alonso running in ninth suffers a gearbox problem at the first corner, and pulls off to retire the McLaren.

McLaren tells Button that Alonso‘s problem shouldn‘t effect him.

On lap 45 Verstappen is battling with Bottas in 11th place.

On lap 48 Verstappen pits for a second time and switches back to supersoft tyres.

At lap 50 Hamilton continues to lead Rosberg by 10.4 seconds, followed by Vettel (12.2s), Kvyat (24.3s), Raikkonen (28.5s), Ricciardo (34.3s), Perez (40.2s), Button (47.9s), Nasr (73.6s) and Grosjean (1 lap) in tenth place.

Perez is told he needs to save fuel to make it to the finish.

On lap 55 Bottas complains he losing his rear tyres. As Bottas lets Vettel lap him, Verstappen gets past to take 11th place.

Bottas pits the next lap and switches to super soft tyres.

At lap 60 Hamilton leads Rosberg by 15.8 seconds, followed by Vettel (18.2s), Kvyat (30.6s), Raikkonen (32.0s), Ricciardo (35.1s), Perez (46.6s), Button (52.5s), Nasr (1 lap), and Grosjean in tenth place.

Verstappen closes on the tail of Grosjean in the final points position in tenth.

On lap 64 Verstappen makes a run on Grosjean down the main straight and strikes the Lotus, then running into the barrier on the outside of Ste Devote. The young Dutchman gets out of the Toro Rosso, and the Safety Car is deployed.

Perez pits from seventh place, Button. Massa, Ricciardo and Nasr pit as well.

On lap 65 Hamilton pits switching to supersoft tyres. Rosberg and Vettel don‘t pit and Hamilton comes out third.

Behind the Safety Car Rosberg leads Vettel, Hamilton, Kvyat, Raikkonen, Ricciardo, Perez, Button, Nasr and Sainz in tenth place.

Hamilton says to Mercedes, ‘ I‘ve lost this race haven‘t I?‘Ï

Lapped cars are let past the Safety Car.

At the end of lap 70 the Safety Car pits and the race resumes with Rosberg ahead of Vettel and Hamilton.

Rosberg pulls out a 2.0 second lead, Hamilton right behind Vettel on super soft tyres.

Ricciardo touches Raikkonen and gets past the Ferrari at Merribeau.

On lap 74 Rosberg sets fast lap at 1m18.603s, and leads by 3.9s.

Hamilton complains ‘it is just impossible to get past‘Ï.

Ricciardo passes his team mate Kvyat for fourth. Ricciardo sets fast lap at 1m18.063s.

On lap 75 Rosberg leads by 4.7 seconds.

Ricciardo is closing the gap to Hamilton in third place. Ricciardo hands the position back to his team mate Kvyat.

Rosberg crosses the line with the victory for the third straight year, followed by Vettel and Hamilton.

After the finish Mercedes GP team boss Toto Wolff says, ‘we thought the gap was different to what it was. A complete misjudgement, I am so sorry. We screwed it up for him.‘Ï

A despondent Hamilton walks slowly from the car and takes third on the podium.