Monaco Grand Prix 2014: RESULT

It’s Mercedes on the front row again for the 2014 Monaco Grand Prix, but this time it’s Nico Rosberg on pole. Can Lewis find room to pass to win in Monaco?

Once again Mercedes has the front row to itself for the Grand Prix in Monaco, thanks to a controversial pole lap by Nico Rosberg, which leaves the prospect of an exciting fight between Rosberg and Hamilton for the win.

But in truth, despite Hamilton’s best efforts, it was a clear lights to flag win for the German in Monaco, and another one-two for Mercedes. It also means Rosberg leapfrogs Hamilton to lead the drivers championship.

Hamilton kept right on Rosberg’s gearbox for the first sixty laps of the race, but after complaining he was struggling to see after he got something in his eye he started to drop back.

The race itself saw a safety car out on lap one after Sergio Perez spun after touching Jenson Button, and when the race restarted Vettel was passed by a succession of cars after he complained of a lack of power, and after a stop ion the pits he returned to the race to find his car stuck in gear and ended up retiring.

And Vettel was soon joined by other retirees with Daniil Kvyat in the Toro Rosso also having power problems and Adrian Sutil crashing out after hitting the barrier at the exit to the tunnel and bringing the safety car out again.

That safety car was cause for more complaining from Hamilton as he felt Mercedes should have brought him in straight away for a tyre change, but he eventually did get the call – after Rosberg.

Raikkonen also had an eventful afternoon, taking third place after the start but getting a puncture after his first stop in a minor coming together with Max Chilton in the Marussia and Jean-Eric Vergne in the Toro Rosso and Botas in the Williams had blown engines, with the second Sauber hitting the barrier at Rascasse. 

With all this going on behind, Rosberg pulled away from Hamilton whose perception was compromised by his eye problem, which in turn allowed Daniel Ricciardo to close right up to Hamilton in the closing laps. However, Hamilton managed to hold Ricciardo off to finish second with the Australian an impressive third.

Behind Ricciardo, Alonso managed a race of his own in the Ferrari for fourth place, followed by Hulkenberg in the Forc India in fifth, Button in the McLaren in sixth, Massa in the Williams seventh, Jules Bianchi in eighth with the first ever points for Marussia (although he’ll drop to ninth after a 5 second penalty) followed by Romain Grosjean in the Lotus and Kevin Magnussen in the McLaren.

But it was Mercedes’ race – and very much Rosberg’s race – as the German team stamp their authority of F1 once again at Monaco.

Let’s hope Hamilton swallows his pride and controls his anger to get back in front at the Canadian Grand Prix in two weeks.