Date:26/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/26/stories/2008052660051900.htm

Sport - Racing : Motor

Hamilton triumphs at Monaco

F-1 Racing / Bad luck for Sutil as Raikkonen crashes into him

— Photo: AP

Ecstatic: McLaren Mercedes Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton mastered the chaotic Monaco Grand Prix.

MONACO: McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton battled to a masterful Monaco Grand Prix victory on Sunday despite hitting the barriers on an afternoon of mayhem on the principality’s slippery streets.

“This has got to be the highlight of my career, and it will be the highlight for the rest of my life,” declared the ecstatic Briton, the first English winner of the showcase race since Graham Hill in 1969.

“Even if I win here again, which I plan on doing, this is the best one...It was the most fun I’ve ever had in a race,” he added.

The Briton’s sixth win in 23 starts, and second of the season, catapulted the 23-year-old to the top of the standings — three points clear of Ferrari’s World champion Kimi Raikkonen who took ninth place after a wet and crash-strewn race.

Poland’s Robert Kubica was second for BMW Sauber, 3.0 seconds behind, with Ferrari’s Brazilian Felipe Massa in third after starting on pole position.

The race, glamour highlight of the Formula One season, was ended after the two-hour mark was reached with 76 of the 78 scheduled laps completed.

Hamilton made a great start, taking Raikkonen for second place into the first corner, but had to pit on lap seven with a deflated right rear tyre after a brush with the barriers at the harbour-side Tabac corner.

The Briton rejoined in fifth but still with everything to play for on a circuit where the slightest mistake carries a heavy penalty.

Ironically, the early pit stop played into Hamilton’s hands as others literally slipped up, with Massa sliding off at the Ste Devote corner and handing the lead to Kubica for a long stretch before the pitstops.

Hamilton’s victory made up for the disappointment of finishing runner-up in a McLaren one-two last year and allowed him to emulate his late boyhood hero and champion Ayrton Senna as a Monaco winner.

“Incredible, an incredible feeling,” said Hamilton.

“The last 20 laps were very emotional.”

In a race turned into a lottery by rain and crashes, with accompanying safety car interventions, Australian Mark Webber finished fourth for Red Bull with Germany’s Sebastian Vettel fifth for Toro Rosso.

Heartbreak for Sutil

Hamilton’s friend Adrian Sutil provided the heartbreak and tears, the German starting 18th for Force India but enjoying the race of his life in fourth place until Raikkonen misjudged his braking and shunted him out at the tunnel exit with the chequered flag less than 10 minutes away.

“It was a great race with an incredibly sad ending,” said the distraught German.

Provisional result and standings: 1. Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) 2:00:42.742; 2. Robert Kubica (BMW Sauber) +00:03.064; 3. Felipe Massa (Ferrari) 00:04.811; 4. Mark Webber (RedBull) 00:19.295; 5. Sebastian Vettel (Toro Rosso) 00:24.657; 6. Rubens Barrichello (Honda) 00:28.408; 7. Kazuki Nakajima (Williams) 00:30.180; 8. Heikki Kovalainen (McLaren) 00:33.191; 9. Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) 00:33.792; 10. Fernando Alonso (Renault) 1 lap; 11. Jenson Button (Honda) 1 lap; 12. Timo Glock (Toyota) 1 lap; 13. Jarno Trulli (Toyota) 1 lap; 14. Nick Heidfeld (BMW) 4 laps.

15 (r.) Adrian Sutil (Force India) 8 laps; (r.) Nico Rosberg (Williams) 17 laps; (r.) Nelson Piquet (Renault) 29 laps; (r.) Giancarlo Fisichella (Force India) 38 laps; (r.) David Coulthard (RedBull) 69 laps; (r.) Sebastien Bourdais (Toro Rosso) 69 laps

(r = retired, nc = not classified).

Fastest Lap: Kimi Raikkonen, 1:16.689, lap 74.

Standings: Drivers: 1. Lewis Hamilton 38; 2. Kimi Raikkonen 35; 3. Felipe Massa 34; 4. Robert Kubica 32; 5. Nick Heidfeld 20; 6. Heikki Kovalainen 15; 7. Mark Webber 15; 8. Fernando Alonso 9; 9. Jarno Trulli 9; 10. Nico Rosberg 8; 11. Kazuki Nakajima 7; 12. Sebastian Vettel 4; 13. Jenson Button 3; 14. Rubens Barrichello 3; 15. Sebastien Bourdais 2.

Constructors: 1. Ferrari 69; 2. McLaren - Mercedes 53; 3. BMW Sauber 52; 4. Williams - Toyota 15; 5. RedBull - Renault 15; 6. Toyota 9; 7. Renault 9; 8. Toro Rosso - Ferrari 6; 9. Honda 6; 10. Force India - Ferrari 0; 11. Super Aguri - Honda 0.