MONTE CARLO – Lewis Hamilton survived a race-long duel with Max Verstappen to win the Monaco Grand Prix for the third time in his career Sunday at Circuit de Monaco.
Hamilton started from the pole and led from start to finish, but he did so with Verstappen filling his mirrors for three quarters of the race.
“That was definitely, for me, the hardest race I think I’ve had,” Hamilton admitted.
Verstappen started third and slotted in behind Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, chasing the Mercedes pairing for the opening circuits. Behind them Charles Leclerc was trying to work through the field after a dismal qualifying effort, but contact with the wall while attempting an overtake cut down a tire and scattered debris across the track, requiring a safety car period.
All of the leaders hit the pits, but because Hamilton and Bottas were so close together the Mercedes crew was forced to doublestack the cars. Hamilton got away clean, but the delay for Bottas in the pits allowed Verstappen to get alongside him as they exited the pits. The two made contact leaving the pits, with Verstappen emerging in second place.
Hamilton restarted with the lead and he pulled clear of Verstappen, but the race was far from over. Mercedes had opted to put the Medium tires on Hamilton’s car while Red Bull put the Hard tires on Verstappen’s car, meaning Verstappen’s tires would have more life in them than Hamilton’s.
“I was never going to come in (to pit),” Hamilton acknowledged. “A couple of years ago I was in the lead and then I came in for a pit stop. I learned the hard way. I lost the race here. I wasn’t going to come in. I was either going to crash or finish.”
Slowly but surely Hamilton’s tires wore out and Verstappen got closer and closer, filling up Hamilton’s mirrors. However, officials soon announced that Verstappen had been penalized five seconds for an unsafe pit release. That mean that he had to get by Hamilton and pull clear by at least five seconds if he hoped to win the race.
With that in mind, Verstappen hounded Hamilton over the final 20 laps as he looked for a way past on the tight street circuit. Hamilton, clearly slowing as his tires wore out, struggled to keep Verstappen behind him lap after lap.
Finally, on lap 76, Verstappen made his move entering the chicane. He dove to Hamilton’s inside and locked up his tires, making contact with Hamilton’s left-rear tire and forcing both drivers to miss the chicane.
Despite the contact Hamilton held serve, holding the lead as Verstappen rejoined in second. Verstappen was never able to get close enough again to challenge him over the final two laps as Hamilton put Mercedes in victory lane less than a week after the passing of Mercedes Non-Executive Chairman Niki Lauda.
“I really was fighting with the spirit of Niki,” Hamilton said. “Niki’s been an influential person in our team helping us get to where we are. I know he’ll be looking down and I know he would take his hat off today. I just was trying to stay focused and trying to make him proud. That’s kind of been the goal all week and we’re going to try and continue that all week.”
Verstappen crossed the line second on track, but his five-second penalty for the pit road incident was enough to drop him off the podium to fourth. As a result, Sebastian Vettel finished second for Ferrari for the first time this year. Bottas was also elevated one position to third. Red Bull’s Pierre Gasly was scored fifth.