Rosberg in record books after Monaco hat-trick

MONACO — Nico Rosberg won the Monaco Grand Prix for the third straight year after a late crash involving teenager Max Verstappen undid Lewis Hamilton’s bid for a fourth win of the season.

It was Rosberg’s second win of the season following his victory two weeks ago at the Spanish Grand Prix, and he became the first driver since Ayrton Senna to win the Monaco race three straight times. The others to do it were Frenchman Alain Prost and Briton Graham Hill.

He is now right back in championship contention, but the circumstances of his win will likely infuriate Hamilton, who was leading Rosberg by 15 seconds when Verstappen — who had never driven on Monaco’s sinewy street circuit before — tried to pass Romain Grosjean but found no room and went spinning off. He was unharmed.

“I know that I got lucky today, so I’ll just enjoy the moment now,” said Rosberg, 29. “But I need to work hard because Lewis was a bit stronger today.”

Rosberg’s win is possibly the perfect response to comments earlier last week by Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, who had told the German that he was “not so good” for his F1 business, reported the Daily Telegraph.

“When it comes to F1, I am a huge Lewis (Hamilton) fan because he is a super promoter of the sport. From a pure business aspect — sorry Nico if I have to say this — you are not so good for my business,” said the 84-year-old Ecclestone to Rosberg during a joint-interview for the official F1 website earlier last week in the Briton’s motorhome in Monte Carlo.

When Rosberg replied it was a “hard call”, Ecclestone continued: “It sounds harder than it is meant. Unfortunately you don’t have the German fans on your side. As the cancellation of the German Grand Prix indicates, Germany is a terrible market for Formula 1. On the contrary Lewis is a hero in the UK. The British love Formula 1. Sebastian (Vettel) is also not doing much for F1. People hardly recognise him on the street.”

Yesterday, reiging world champion Hamilton had looked set to take his 37th career win after leading from the start, until the 17-year-old Verstappen rammed his Toro Rosso into the back of Grosjean as he tried to overtake the Lotus driver.

That meant a safety car had to come out at the start of the 64th lap, and when Hamilton was then called in for a pit stop, he suddenly found himself behind both Rosberg and Ferrari’s Vettel. When the safety car finally went off track, Hamilton had only a few laps to try and get past Vettel and Rosberg on the most difficult track to overtake on F1.

The Associated Press reported that the team’s decision to call Hamilton in for a pit stop clearly backfired, and the Briton angrily snapped over the radio: “Please stop talking to me, please.”

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff acknowledged Hamilton’s anger when he said: “It was a complete misjudgment. I’m just so sorry. There’s nothing to do but apologise.”