Vettel secures Ferrari 1-2 at Monaco GP
SEBASTIAN Vettel secured a memorable one-two for Ferrari in yesterday’s 75th Monaco Grand Prix to extend his world championship lead to a luxurious 25 points over Lewis Hamilton.
Taking full advantage of generous support from his teammate Kimi Raikkonen, who led from pole position to the start of the pit-stops, the four-time champion came home 3.1 seconds clear of the Finn in glorious Mediterranean sunshine.
Vettel’s success was Ferrari’s first in the principality in 16 years since seventime champion Michael Schumacher triumphed in 2001. It was the 82nd 1-2 in the team’s history.
It was also the 29-year-old German’s second Monaco triumph, his third win this year and the 45th of his career, lifting him 25 points clear of Hamilton of Mercedes in the title race.
Australian Daniel Ricciardo, who was unlucky not to win last year, finished third for Red Bull, despite hitting the barrier at Ste Devote, ahead of Valtteri Bottas of Mercedes and Dutch teenager Max Verstappen in the second Red Bull.
Carlos Sainz was a welljudged sixth for Toro Rosso ahead of Hamilton, who had started 13th, and Frenchman Romain Grosjean of Haas.
Felipe Massa was ninth for Williams ahead of Dane Kevin Magnussen in the second Haas.
Jenson Button, back for one race to replace two-time champion Fernando Alonso, who was due to race at the Indianapolis 500 later yesterday, retired his McLaren after a collision with German Pascal Wehrlein’s Sauber. — AFP