FORMULA 1 - 2014

[MIKA27]

Hamilton suggests team-mate Rosberg lacks his F1 title hunger

Lewis Hamilton suggests Mercedes Formula 1 team-mate Nico Rosberg lacks the hunger he has to win the world championship because of his privileged upbringing.

As the rivalry between the pair heats up amid their title battle, Hamilton believes that the struggles he faced in his childhood to prove his talent have made him more motivated for success.

In an interview published on the official Formula 1 website, Hamilton said: "Let me tell you this: I come from a not-great place in Stevenage and lived on a couch in my dad's apartment - and Nico grew up in Monaco with jets and hotels and boats and all these kind of things - so the hunger is different.

"I want to be the hungriest guy in the cockpit from all 22 of us - even if every driver has to believe that he's the hungriest - because if I were to come here believing that Nico is hungrier than me then I might as well go home.

"So I've got to be the hungriest - to win the world championship you need to be the hungriest."

Although Hamilton and Rosberg have a long experience of racing against each other - and were team-mates in karting - a fight for the world title was always expected to affect their relationship.

Hamilton is adamant, however, that there will never be animosity between them.

"When you're so competitive it is impossible to be best friends - but then it stays respectful," he said.

"We will always have the years in karting, that kind of foundation of a long time ago..."

[PaulP]

practice 1

01 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:18.271 32 laps
02 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:18.303 +0.032 31 laps
03 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull 1:18.506 +0.235 37 laps
04 Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1:18.930 +0.659 31 laps
05 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull 1:19.043 +0.772 33 laps
06 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 1:19.467 +1.196 31 laps
07 Valtteri Bottas Williams 1:19.494 +1.223 31 laps
08 Sergio Perez Force India 1:19.666 +1.395 29 laps
09 Kevin Magnussen McLaren 1:19.789 +1.518 29 laps
10 Nico Hulkenberg Force India 1:19.856 +1.585 38 laps
11 Jenson Button McLaren 1:20.033 +1.762 35 laps
12 Esteban Gutierrez Sauber 1:20.118 +1.847 33 laps
13 Romain Grosjean Lotus 1:20.207 +1.936 33 laps
14 Pastor Maldonado Lotus 1:20.241 +1.970 38 laps
15 Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso 1:20.260 +1.989 36 laps
16 Felipe Massa Williams 1:20.517 +2.246 25 laps
17 Adrian Sutil Sauber 1:20.736 +2.465 18 laps
18 Daniil Kvyat Toro Rosso 1:20.914 +2.643 37 laps
19 Jules Bianchi Marussia 1:21.310 +3.039 27 laps
20 Marcus Ericsson Caterham 1:22.063 +3.792 40 laps
21 Kamui Kobayashi Caterham 1:22.492 +4.221 38 laps
22 Max Chilton Marussia 1:25.817 +7.546 7 laps

[PaulP]

practice 2

01 Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1:18.482 15 laps
02 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:18.901 +0.419 12 laps
03 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull 1:19.017 +0.535 15 laps
04 Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso 1:19.351 +0.869 14 laps
05 Valtteri Bottas Williams 1:19.421 +0.939 9 laps
06 Sergio Perez Force India 1:19.668 +1.186 9 laps
07 Nico Hulkenberg Force India 1:19.712 +1.230 10 laps
08 Jenson Button McLaren 1:19.721 +1.239 16 laps
09 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull 1:19.779 +1.297 11 laps
10 Kevin Magnussen McLaren 1:20.230 +1.748 16 laps
11 Felipe Mass Williams 1:20.394 +1.912 8 laps
12 Daniil Kvyat Toro Rosso 1:20.622 +2.140 13 laps
13 Adrian Sutil Sauber 1:20.811 +2.329 8 laps
14 Pastor Maldonado Lotus 1:20.977 +2.495 7 laps
15 Esteban Gutierrez Sauber 1:21.467 +2.985 8 laps
16 Romain Grosjean Lotus 1:21.700 +3.218 6 laps
17 Kamui Kobayashi Caterham 1:21.924 +3.442 6 laps
18 Jules Bianchi Marussia 1:21.937 +3.455 13 laps
19 Max Chilton Marussia 1:22.683 +4.201 13 laps
20 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:22.862 +4.380 11 laps
21 Marcus Ericsson Caterham 1:23.164 +4.682 6 laps
22 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 1:45.509 +27.027 4 laps

[PaulP]

Qualifying

01 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:15.989
02 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:16.048 +0.059
03 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull 1:16.384 +0.395
04 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull 1:16.547 +0.558
05 Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1:16.686 +0.697
06 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 1:17.389 +1.400
07 Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso 1:17.540 +1.551
08 Kevin Magnussen McLaren 1:17.555 +1.566
09 Daniil Kvyat Toro Rosso 1:18.090 +2.101
10 Sergio Perez Force India 1:18.327 +2.338
11 Nico Hulkenberg Force India 1:17.846
12 Jenson Button McLaren 1:17.988
13 Valtteri Bottas Williams 1:18.082
14 Romain Grosjean Lotus 1:18.196
15 Pastor Maldonado Lotus 1:18.356
16 Felipe Massa Williams No time
17 Esteban Gutierrez Sauber 1:18.741
18 Adrian Sutil Sauber 1:18.745
19 Jules Bianchi Marussia 1:19.332
20 Max Chilton Marussia 1:19.928
21 Kamui Kobayashi Caterham 1:20.133
22 Marcus Ericsson Caterham 1:21.732

[JPS72]

It will be interesting to see if Mercedes and Red Bull can make it through the first corner tomorrow without sustaining damage from their own teammates trying to gain position! Hamilton seemed pretty ticked off at Nico for the way Q3 ended.

[MIKA27]

Rosberg: A special win because Lewis has had the momentum

After finishing the runner-up in the previous four races, Nico Rosberg regained the high ground in the 2014 world title chase by winning the Monaco Grand Prix, which he considers his home race, but this appears to have come at the expense of a long term friendship with Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton as the pair slug it out on track and psychologically. Rosberg reflects on his important victory in Monte Carlo – his second of the season and second in a row on ‘home’ turf.

A home win for the home boy. How did it feel? You had Lewis very, very close to you all the race but you held on to your lead. How was it?

Nico Rosberg: A very, very special day for sure. Lewis drove really, really well and pushed me massively hard, so the pressure was on all the way. But I kept it cool and, yeah, was able to win, in the end pulling a bit of a gap because I had the fresher tyres. So, fantastic and I’m very, very happy for the whole team, it’s an amazing car they’ve built and given us this year.

A two-time Monaco Grand Prix winner, only a handful of drivers have ever done that before. Fifth consecutive one-two finish for the Mercedes team and you are back on top of the drivers’ standings. Can you sum up what this win means for you today in the context of tyhe4 battle with Lewis for the championship?

NR: Yeah, it’s a special win, definitely, because Lewis has had the momentum with the results and everything and I really needed to try to break that momentum and somewhat I managed to do that this weekend. Of course taking the leading again in the world championship and winning here in Monaco, yeah, all in all really, really cool.

We have seen that there is a pretty tense situation between the two of you and we also heard comments from Lauda saying that you did not want to talk and apologise. Are you going to have a pizza together, a dinner, to sort the problems, talk about it and try to get the situation back to normal.

NR: It’s fine. We’ve had discussions and the benefit we have is that we’ve known each other for so long. We always sit down and discuss it and then move on and that’s what we’re doing this weekend also.

You were being told to back-off and coast with fuel. How critical was your fuel?

NR: Yeah, the fuel was very critical and caught me off-guard a little bit because it was a major change that I had to make and especially with Lewis being so close behind, it was a tough moment because I had to change the driving style completely, use different gears, different lifting and coasting, everything different. But, again, the team managed that well and got me to do what I needed to do. And then, once I got into the groove again, it was OK and everything…it was no problem them. But it was still difficult.

Your father Keke won here 31 years ago , today you are double Monaco winning. Which do you think is prouder at the moment: you or your Dad?

NR: I don’t know. I hope…of course my father is proud today and that makes me very happy, that I’m able to make my parents proud. Hopefully even my friends, for example, who all were here also this weekend and that makes it all the more special to have family, friends, everybody I know lives here and is at the track watching the race and that’s even nicer.

You said that you had to break the momentum, since Lewis is coming from four consecutive wins. Is this your most important victory so far?

NR: I don’t know about the most important. For sure it was very, very important, yes, today because Lewis had the result momentum and I needed to try and bring that to an end and managed to do that today, so that’s great but, y’know, it’s still early days and for sure it’s going to continue to be a very, very tough battle.

Have you been surprised that the team didn’t call you in right after the crash of Sutil?

NR: No. Surprised? No, not really, because I don’t think about that too much. I know I can rely on them to make the right call at all times so it’s not something that I’m thinking too much about, the strategy and should I be boxing now or not, because I know that they’re going to make the right call.

Do you think it was fair what Lewis said about you not being hungry as him because you were growing with boats and jets and all that stuff?

NR: I didn’t hear Lewis say that and so I’m not going to comment because it’s easy for you to just invent something and so I’m not going to comment on that, and even if something like that was written – which I don’t know because I don’t read the media – then still, between what Lewis says and what’s written, so much can turn around so it’s better I don’t say anything and I know that Lewis wouldn’t say something like that, especially not to the press, maybe to me if he feels like it but not to the press.

You may give the same answer to this question then, because there were some comments from yourself in a few of the German newspapers where you remarked that when Lewis goes through a difficult period that he can crack. Do you think that that’s what happened this weekend, that maybe Lewis did crack?

NR: Again, that is definitely very very far from anything that I’ve ever said and ever would say. Definitely not and I’ve known Lewis for many many years and he’s always been strong, among other things mentally, so I’m definitely not expecting him to crack any time soon, that’s for sure. It’s going to be a tough battle which is going to be ongoing, but I would never say something like that anyways.

What racing gives you, is it freedom of expression, a way to express yourself, adrenalin?

NR: First of all, we’re here to entertain and hopefully give people a great time and a spectacle to watch, and especially in Monaco, it’s very obviously because everybody’s there on boats and houses and everything, and I just hope that we’re able to put on a great show, that our sport is seen as the best sport in the world, the most fun sport in the world, the most exciting sport in the world and so that’s a special feeling as such. And then of course driving my car through the streets of Monaco on the limit, battling everybody else, trying to win and then of course the win itself is the most special moment.

MIKA: I'm really pleased Nico won the Monacco GP over Hamilton. Hamilton was such a bad loser, not to shake hands with Rosberg.

I also noticed he talks a hell of a lot during the race. "How are my rear tyres"(They are fine)

I have something in my eye"(Thats almost unheard of), in the end, lose gracefully.... Like Ron Dennis once said, coming second is the First of the losers".';)

Not wishing to upset Hamilton fans, he is one of the great drivers but he really is turning into a sore loser... Perhaps he needs to be in Alonsos or Raikonnens position?

[MIKA27]

Hamilton: The battle between Nico and me is fierce

Lewis Hamilton had to play second fiddle to his Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg in the Monaco Grand Prix, weekend which clearly irked the Briton and has added fuel to the animosity that is growing between the two contenders for the F1 world title. Hamilton spoke of his day’s graft on the streets of Monaco.

How are you? Tell us a little bit about what happened on the 56th lap? You got something in your eye?

Lewis Hamilton: Yeah, just through the visor…but anyway that’s not important. It was a good day and really good for the team to get a one-two.

You had [Daniel Ricciardo] right close behind. How was it? You started second and finished second and how are things with your team-mate, I think people want to know?

LH: I had great pace, you know, obviously I felt I was very strong today but it’s a very, very difficult circuit to overtake on…

Obviously the momentum is broken for the moment. We heard you on the radio quite a lot after the Safety Car and the pit stops, questioning and speaking about the strategy calls. Obviously you pitted together under the Safety Car. Had there been a thought that you might try to undercut Nico before that? Can you explain to us what the conversation was about?

LH: I don’t remember to be honest. I don’t. I think they saw a crash and normally under the crash we could have come in and I really should have come in but the team didn’t call us in. We really should have pitted that lap.

We have seen that there is a pretty tense situation between the two of you and we also heard comments from Lauda saying you did not want to talk and apologise. Are you going to have a pizza together, a dinner, to sort the problems, talk about it and try to get the situation back to normal.

LH: I don’t really have an answer for you there.

Niki Lauda said that in Barcelona you used an engine mode you were told not to and you had to apologise to Nico for that. Do you think that that mode would have helped you win the race today?

LH: No…today we were using all the modes. In the last race it was a mode that didn’t really affect the outcome of the race. We were told that we had to stay in a certain mode. Nico did it in Bahrain and I did it in Barcelona. In this race we stuck to the strategies we had to stick.

Yesterday you told the BBC that you might handle the situation with Nico like Senna would. What did you mean by that?

LH: I don’t know. I can’t really remember to be honest. I think it was just a joke. Obviously I didn’t.

I think you said on the radio that you had a problem with your eye in the closing stages. What happened there?

LH: I’ve never really had it before. I kept making sure my visor was as closed as possible but I had quite a bit of wind coming in. I got close to Nico at one stage and all of a sudden I got a bit of debris in my eye, or some dirt, so I was driving with one eye, which is virtually impossible to do and so through the low-speed corners I was trying to open up my visor to clear it up but it was just making it worse. Fortunately, I think with five laps to go it cleared up so I was able to stay ahead of Daniel.

It seems pretty clear to us that you feel aggrieved with the events that occurred yesterday in Qualifying. Is this it now for you? Is it gloves off in your battle with Nico? And secondly, do you feel that you are getting full and fair support from the team?

LH: Generally, there is a fierce battle between me and Nico and it will continue that way to I’m sure quite late in the season. Nico’s not had a single hiccup through the season so far. Obviously I had a car that didn’t finish in Melbourne but otherwise it’s still quite close, so I’m just going to keep my head up, keep pushing. I know the team are working hard for the both of us. The team can sometimes be in awkward positions, which they were yesterday, and their job is really to protect us both and that’s what they did.

After your victory in Barcelona, you said that Nico was faster than you in the race. Today he can even beat you. Is it a worry for you? And do you know where you should improve pace-wise.

LH: Not really. I was pretty comfortable with my pace this weekend.

What do you think was the reason why the team didn’t call you in immediately after the crash? You complained over the team radio about that.

LH: I think it’s just what we have a rule that the guy in front gets the first opportunity to pit first so I think that would be why.

How did the debrief of yesterday’s Qualifying go because as we understand, you were not in the debrief room, while Rosberg was?

LH: I was in there. I went to the toilet and Nico did his big debrief before I got there which is unusual. Usually we do it when we’re both in the same room but as I came up I did mine and fortunately the engineers had written down what Nico had said so I read it.

To clarify the situation, did you tell the BBC in this interview where you said these things with the boat or didn’t you say that?

LH: I was asked who was hungrier. I think if you ask every driver they will say that they’re the hungriest and I said that what gives me the hunger is where I grew up in comparison to where Nico grew up. You know I’ve always been striving to come and live here. I used to travel around with Nico in his Dad’s plane, I used to go to his boat, I used to go to his house, I used to have those experiences and that gave me those experiences and that gave me the desire to want that one day, which gave me the hunger. It was his Dad obviously who inspired me to be where I am today.

So you did say it?

LH: Yes, but – as Nico said – it was taken out of context a little bit.

Do you believe with a normal pit stop – not under Safety Car conditions – you would have had any chance to overtake Nico and get the lead of the race?

LH: It’s irrelevant now, but obviously with the start, we got exactly the same start…there’s only two opportunities in the race and the pit stop would have been the other one but the Safety Car came out at the perfect time for him so I didn’t have the chance there. Otherwise, that was it.

What does racing give you, is it freedom of expression, a way to express yourself, adrenalin?

LH: I’m living my dream so it gives good energy.

[MIKA27]

Ricciardo: It’s still not where we want to be

Daniel Ricciardo fluffed his lines at the start of the Monaco Grand Prix, but the Red Bull driver kept his cool and drove another impressive race to finish third, ending his race challenging hard for second place and clearly the quickest driver in the closing stages of Formula 1′s most prestigious event. He spoke afterwards;

Daniel, tell us a little bit about your race. You were in third for a while, then the pit stops, tell us a little about your strategy.

Daniel Ricciardo: Firstly, it’s really nice to be up here on the podium in Monaco. The start was not great, I dropped back to fifth actually. A bit of frustration but then we saw Vettel had a problem, so we were able to get fourth and then we saw that Raikkonen had a puncture [behind] one of the Safety Cars. So we sort of inherited third after a poor start…

You got very close to Lewis. You were right on his gearbox at the end?

DR: At the end we really closed in. I believe he had an issue. We tried to put some pressure on but in the end third was the best we could do.

Your first Monaco podium. Can you describe your feelings about that and looking back across Qualifying and the race is there any way you could have got a better result than the one you got today.

DR: To describe the feeling, it’s really nice to be up here. Could we have done better? I don’t know. I felt yesterday that we left a little bit of lap time on there. Where that would have jumped on the grid, who knows. After that, the race itself – the start was not good, not what I wanted. I actually dropped back to fifth and then Seb had his problems, still not sure what, but pretty evident that he had problems when he slowed on the straight. Then Raikkonen I saw got a puncture under the safety car, so I got third and then pretty much was just trying to maintain the gap behind me to Alonso. Then when I thought there was enough or the right amount of laps left before the end to push and not really save tyres anymore, I did and went for it. We got close to at least one of the Mercedes at the end but you know what it’s like around here, it’s quite hard to pass. Tried to put a bit of pressure on but third was the best we could do but not a bad day.

From what we have seen today from Red Bull, are you going to have the pace to challenge Mercedes in Montreal in two weeks?

DR: I think, yeah, we closed up a bit here in Monaco which we knew would be our best chance up until now. This circuit definitely suits our package a bit better than previous circuits – we still didn’t finish in front so, unfortunately, it’s still not where we want to be. Montreal is still a street circuit but unfortunately the straights go on a little bit longer there so we’re still down a little bit in that area, which I think that everyone’s aware of and we’ve made progress. Whether it will be enough by then, honestly, probably not but we are closing the gap so, that’s all we can ask for, for now, and just keep chipping away at it and be patient. I’m sure a bit of perseverance as well and we’ll get there.

For sure as a driver you must trust in yourself but in any moment did you believe you could beat Vettel in the way this season you are beating him in Qualifying and the race?

DR: I didn’t really have any visions exactly on how it would go, what the race results would be or what the qualifying score would be – but I knew that I have some talent and obviously [i've] got a bit of experience now in Formula One. So, every year, even every six month period I feel I’m still growing and getting better as a driver as well so, I knew coming into the season with the team behind me and sort of a new opportunity, that I would be able to challenge Seb. Did I think it would be going, let’s say, as well as it was now? I don’t know. But I knew if I had everything underneath me I’d be capable of getting the results. So, fortunately the team saw that as well, back in September, I think, last year. So, it’s coming good.

You said yesterday that there was a little bit left on the table in terms of Qualifying. Do you think that there was a little bit left on the table still in the race, and was there was there any point – you got pretty close to Lewis at the end there – when you were going to go for it and then maybe not – don’t want to risk it? What was the thinking in those last few laps?

DR: Everyone was trying to do a one stop today; it’s a bit of a weird one, you don’t really push much of the race because, especially after the first pit stop, we still had a long way to go, so you’re in two minds: do I push or do I just try and hold the guy off and get to the end. By the time we’d got 15/20 laps to go I knew the tyres were going to last so then I could actually start my race, so to speak, and then start to set some quicker times. We caught Lewis, the team said I was going to catch him, the pace was good so I knew I was eventually going to get on to him. Knowing it’s hard to pass around here, I wasn’t…I don’t know. I was just waiting to see what happened but I wasn’t just going to settle for third. Obviously in the end I did but if there was a clean move to be taken then yeah, I would have taken it.

The race has just finished; I was wondering what racing gives you, is it freedom of expression, a way to express yourself, adrenalin?

DR: I get…honestly, freedom is definitely one thing. I remember when I first hopped in a go-kart as a kid, just being in control and not having anyone else in your space and then going at speed was a sense of freedom definitely. It’s nice as well, particularly with everything that happens around F1, all the media and everything else – when you hop in the car, it’s just you and the car and occasionally you have an engineer on the radio but it’s just you so definitely a sense of freedom along with a wicked adrenalin.

MIKA: Congratulations to Daniel. We can all take a page out of this guys book and smile a lot more.

[MIKA27]

Ferrari: Luck was not on our side

Fernando Alonso finished the Monaco Grand Prix in fourth place, having started fifth, while Kimi Raikkonen ended up twelfth, the victim of circumstance, after what had been a very promising start.

Marco Mattiacci: “Historically, Monaco is an unpredictable grand prix and we are well aware there can be thousands of variables here. If we had managed to keep that third place, it would have been a boost for the entire team, but events beyond our control meant it was not to be. All of us are working flat out and I’m sure that thanks to the great professionalism of the people around me, we will be able to improve day by day and get back to being competitive in a short period of time. But above all, we must find a way to reach the ambitious goals that Ferrari should be fighting for.”

Fernando Alonso: “Finishing just off the podium today was a good result, especially after a difficult start and the various incidents during the race. At the start, something in the motor didn’t work, but even if I’d had full power, there was no room to overtake. The three cars ahead of me deserved to be there as they were really uncatchable. I am pleased with fourth place, because we were able to manage a race in which you had to always maintain the highest level of concentration as there were plenty of tense moments. Our pace was good and that means that, bit by bit, we are improving. Sure, the gap to the leaders is still significant, because like us, they are still moving forward on the development front. Therefore we must always try to do better, starting with the next race in Canada.”

Kimi Raikkonen: “This was a very unlucky day for me, a real shame after getting a good start and managing to move up to third place. The car was handling well and had a good pace. Unfortunately, in a Safety Car period, my car was hit by Chilton’s Marussia and I had to make an unscheduled stop as my right rear tyre was damaged and that meant the end of any chance of getting a good result. I am sorry I still haven’t managed to get a good result because we are working very hard. We know there is a lot to do as our rivals are still a long way ahead, but I am sure that if we continue down this path the results will come, maybe with a bit more luck.”

Pat Fry: “Today in Monaco, luck was not on our side, especially in Kimi’s case. Mercedes and Red Bull showed they have a greater potential than we do, but thanks to a really good start, I think that Kimi, who was third at the first corner, could have finished on the podium. Unfortunately, during the Safety Car period, his F14 T was hit by a Marussia and that meant he had to make two stops in the space of two laps, effectively ruining his race. Fernando also got away well, but a few moments later and for all of the first sector, his car suffered a temporary drop in power. Fortunately, he managed not to lose too many places and after that, he ran a rather solitary race. We start work again tomorrow in Maranello, looking at our weak points: we are sure we can improve and now we must prove those words with facts.”

[MIKA27]

Marussia: A fantastic reward for all the hard work and determination

After four seasons and six races of sheer grit and determination, the Marussia F1 Team finally achieved its long-awaited first points-scoring finish in today’s Monaco Grand Prix.

In his home race on the streets of the Principality, Jules Bianchi delivered a fantastic race performance in pursuit of the championship point he and the team so badly craved. Then, much like buses, two came along at once, as he ended the race 8th on the road but 9th in the final classification.

Jules started the race in 21st position after a gearbox penalty dropped him to the back of the grid, save for Ericsson who was starting from 22nd position but from the pit lane. Jules made a perfect start, gaining five places to be 16th by the end of the first lap.

A short while into the race, the team received five second penalties for each of its drivers, after they were deemed to have been out of position on the grid. With Maldonado unable to start the race, the back of the field had each moved forward a grid slot.

From 15th position Jules made his first pit stop on lap 29 and also served his five second penalty at the same time. He continued to make progess through the race and on lap 40 pulled off a brilliantly opportunistic move to dispense with Kobayashi at Rascasse. From then on, Jules was pretty much unstoppable, climbing up to 10th position, at which time a further forfeit was imposed for the team having served the previous penalty under the Safety Car. As he was not planning to make a further pit stop, this would need to take the form of five seconds being added to his time at the end of the race. Just as that elusive point seemed like it may not happen, a yellow flag incident involving Magnussen and Raikkinen propelled him to 8th position. With the addition of a five second time penalty he was relegated to 9th, although this secured the Marussia F1 Team’s first two World Championship points. The team is also promoted to 9th position in the Constructors’ Championship standings.

It was a much tougher race for Max Chilton, who bogged down at the start and lost places, then went on to lose a lap after an unplanned pit stop following a coming together with Kimi Raikkonen. Nonetheless, he drove a strong race and ultimately extended his record to 25 finishes in 25 races.

Jules Bianchi #17: “Wow. What a race and what a result for the whole team. I am just incredibly happy, but first of all I have to pay credit to everyone at the Marussia F1 Team for making this possible. Nobody knows just how much work and determination goes into our races, so today I am thrilled that I have helped them to achieve their long-held target of our first points. To achieve them together makes me very proud. My thanks to everyone here in Monaco, the rest of the team in Banbury and also to our powertrain partners, Scuderia Ferrari, because together we have all made great progress, particularly since the Barcelona Test. This gave us the confidence to push and we certainly did that here this weekend. It was not an easy race; there were some enjoyable highs along the way, but also a couple of concerning moments too. What matters at the end is that we got there and we can savour the highlights for a long time to come. I would also like to thank the Ferrari Driver Academy, who support me every step of my career.”

Max Chilton #4: “I am very proud to be a part of something so special today. For a small team to have such a result is a huge boost for the future. Obviously, I have mixed emotions, as everything that could have gone wrong for me today, did. But that is racing and I know I will have my chance one day to get some points for the team. Well done to everyone and now I am really motivated heading into Montreal.”

John Booth, Team Principal: “Naturally we are overjoyed at today’s result and it is a fantastic reward for all the hard work and determination, not just this year, but over the past four and a bit seasons. My congratulations to the team here in Monaco, back at base in Banbury and our much newer colleagues at Scuderia Ferrari. Our powertrain partnership is young, but we saw the potential right from the start of the relationship and we are now really starting to see the results of a true integration. A lot of this weekend’s clear step stems from the progress that we made at the recent Barcelona Test. We were cautiously optimistic about our performance increment, but we really needed to see it translate into a good race here in Monaco before we could feel too confident. We are only a young team, but we have every reason to believe in ourselves and a positive future. Clearly, in today’s race, we benefited from some attrition but, throughout, we were running at a pace that allowed us to stay in position with the cars around us. It is clear that we are now able to race with the back of the midfield pack. The penalty situation was a cause for concern and the way in which we served this with Jules was the product of some unusual circumstances, but we understand and accept the decisions. Thankfully, the second penalty was not the determining factor that it could have been. A tough day for Max; today simply didn’t go his way, but we are pleased for him that his finishing record continues.”

Mattia Binotto, Scuderia Ferrari Engine & Electronics Deputy Director: “On behalf of the Scuderia Ferrari, I want to congratulate the Marussia F1 Team for this historic result. The first points finish for this team is a well-deserved reward for the hard work they’re doing in such a competitive environment as Formula 1. For our part, we are pleased to have made our contribution to the achievement of a goal pursued [over] time and I would like also to thank the group of Ferrari technicians and mechanics who worked from the beginning of the year with the team based in Banbury. Jules achieved a flawless performance from every point of view, confirming that he is one of the most talented young drivers currently in F1. This ninth place should be a starting point and not an arrival for the collaboration between the Scuderia and the Marussia: there is still much work to do and lots of room to grow together. In a very challenging weekend in terms of reliability we are pleased to have seen both Ferrari-powered Marussias finish once again the race. It’s true that there have been some problems over the weekend but we were able to handle them together and we got once more the first goal of each grand prix: [to drive] under the chequered flag.”

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Williams: The strategy was a risk but paid dividends

Felipe Massa finished seventh whilst Valtteri Bottas race ended on lap 50 of 78 in the Monaco Grand Prix. Both drivers made strong starts and, despite two Safety Cars interrupting proceedings, looked in a strong position to collect a good points haul for the team following their pitstops.

Felipe pushed hard to catch Button and capitalised on accidents between Magnussen and Raikkonen. Valtteri stopped on track following an issue related to the Power Unit. The cause is being investigated.

Rob Smedley, Head of Performance Engineering: “Felipe’s race went well; he recovered from 16th to seventh and stayed out of trouble, driving with a sensible head. The strategy was a risk but paid dividends as we didn’t have to stack the cars during the pitstops. Valtteri would have got some good points today, but sadly there was a failure on his car. We now have to look forward to Canada and consider where we can make improvements to continue bringing home points.”

Felipe Massa: “I am very happy with seventh after starting 16th on the grid. I took some risks when I changed strategy at the Safety Car and had to make my tyres last, which they did. I made the most of the opportunities I had with other cars making mistakes or retiring. Many things could have happened so I am pleased they worked out for the best. A tough weekend turned into a positive one.”

Valtteri Bottas: “We had an issue with the power unit which is frustrating. There are some investigations to do to find out exactly what happened. After the start I was quickly in the points so it could have been a good weekend. Felipe finished seventh so the team can walk away with something. We now look towards Canada where we hope to be strong due to the nature of the track.”

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Red Bull: Signs of progress and we’re certainly getting closer

Red Bull team and drivers report from the Monaco Grand Prix, Round 6 of the 2014 Formula 1 world championship, in Monte Carlo.

Daniel Ricciardo: “The race really came to life towards the end. It started off not so well and it’s a really short run to Turn 1, so that was frustrating. Then we got Seb due to his reliability and Kimi had a puncture and we sort of got back to where we were hoping to be. After the re-start we were just saving the tyres to the point that we could get to the end and then, with 20 laps to go, I thought they would be okay so I pushed. It was the first time in the whole race that I felt like I was really driving the car and we caught Lewis. It was fun but I couldn’t get him, so I have to say the race finished better than it started.”

Sebastian Vettel: “It’s disappointing. I had a good start and then we lost boost pressure from the turbo, so I had no power and had to retire. The team did everything they could. I felt quite helpless in the car, so I was asking for an answer of what we could do, but there wasn’t anything at that stage. We fixed some problems yesterday with the ERS, but some more came today with the turbo, but we will move forwards and it will be good for us soon.”

Christian Horner, Team Principal: “First of all we have to apologise to Sebastian for an issue with his power unit. It’s frustrating that, after making a good start, his race came to a very premature end. Thereafter, Daniel benefitted from a puncture from Kimi to get some free air and was able to run his own race. We closed down the gap to the Mercedes at the end and got very close to Lewis, but round the streets of Monte Carlo it’s always extremely difficult to overtake. It’s the closest we’ve been to Mercedes all year and it’s the first time we’ve been really racing them this season, so there are signs of progress and we’re certainly getting closer. Finally, congratulations to the Marussia team on getting their first points in Formula 1. Scoring points in this business is never easy and for a new team that stuck at it and scored their first points today, they deserve a large amount of recognition for that.”

Thierry Salvi, Renault: “Today was a very up and down day. Daniel fought throughout the race and was able to come close to Hamilton towards the end. It is a great result for him and showed yet again today that he’s strong enough to perform on such a difficult city track. For Seb he had a disaster today as he suffered a reliability failure from the power unit. We tried different settings to fix the problem but ultimately we had to retire. We’ll look into the causes tonight and in the coming days to fully understand what happened.”

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Sauber: Very regrettable to miss such good opportunities

The Monaco Grand Prix ended early for both Sauber F1 Team drivers. On lap 24 Adrian Sutil lost control of the car under braking coming out of the tunnel and hit the guard rail.

Esteban Gutiérrez was in the top ten when he touched the guard rail on lap 60 in the Rascasse corner and spun. Before these two incidents the Sauber C33 had proved to be competitive, which opened the possibility of scoring points today. However, this opportunity was missed.

Esteban Gutiérrez (car number 21): “Unfortunately, I could not finish the race. It was probably the most painful mistake in my career. I touched the guardrail in Rascasse on the entry to the corner and spun, that was the end of the race. Today we had a great chance to earn some points. The start was great, as I was able to gain some positions during the first few laps which gave me a good basis for our race strategy. During the race I needed to take care of the tyres, but we also had to push because we had quick cars coming from behind. It is very disappointing. I really want to say sorry to everyone in the team because they all did a great job today.”

Adrian Sutil (car number 99):“It is a pity that my race ended so early. I had quite a good start. In turn 5 one of the other drivers spun, and as I came around the corner many cars were suddenly stopping in front of me. I had front wing damage which forced me to make a pitstop. I went back onto track almost at the back of the field, but I was able to gain some positions lap by lap. Unfortunately, coming out of the tunnel I made a mistake when braking, lost the rear and crashed into the guardrail. Certainly, I am very disappointed and I also feel sorry for the whole team.”

Monisha Kaltenborn, Team Principal: “This was a very unlucky way not to finish this race. We definitely had the chance to score points, but we are leaving Monaco empty handed. Adrian and Esteban were setting good lap times and were able to keep up with competition. This shows that the car was absolutely competitive today, and is important for the whole team to know. Of course, it’s very regrettable to miss such good opportunities in this way.”

Giampaolo Dall’Ara, Head of Track Engineering: “It was an eventful race, which is quite normal for Monaco. Obviously for our team it was a big disappointment, because we were competitive. We were more or less able to keep with the pace of a number of competitors, which was really positive. Today we were in a position to play a role in this race, but then the incidents happened, and we are left without points. Adrian damaged his front wing on lap one as a result of the Sergio Perez crash. We then changed his strategy, which worked well. Rather than doing a long stint on the Soft tyres, we put him on the Super-soft. But then he lost the car under braking. Esteban had an issue with his starting position, but, apart from that, everything went according to plan before he hit the barrier and had to stop. We had the chance to score points today, so the end was really disappointing. The positive thing was that we were competitive. That’s what we have to build on.”

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Force India: We will remember this day for a long time

Sahara Force India scored ten points today as Nico Hulkenberg finished in fifth place on the streets of Monaco. Sergio Perez was out of luck as he was eliminated on lap one following a collision at turn five.

Nico Hulkenberg: “Ten points today is a great reward after such a difficult race. The last twenty laps were really tricky because my supersoft tyres were at the end of their life and it was hard to hold off the cars behind me and stay away from the barriers. There were a few close moments when I kissed the wall, but I survived and managed to hold on to fifth place. Fortunately my car was quick in the right places – going into the tunnel and also through the final corner. There were some enjoyable moments in the race, especially my move on Magnussen. He had to let the McLaren back through and he lost a bit of momentum so I saw my opportunity to stick my nose down the inside of turn eight. On a track like Monaco it gives you a big smile to make the move stick.”

Sergio Perez: “I was in a battle with Nico, who was ahead, and I went to take the apex normally. I was on the racing line and ahead of Jenson [button] when he clipped my rear wheel and spun me around into the barriers. I did not expect him to be there as there wasn’t really any space for another car there. It was very unlucky. As a racing driver you have good and bad Sundays but this is definitely one I want to forget as soon as possible. It is disappointing that we lost a big chance to score a good amount of points, but the car felt much better here than in Spain, as shown by Nico’s result. This is a very positive signal looking ahead to Montreal.”

Vijay Mallya, Team Principal and Managing Director: “Today’s race equals our best ever result in Monaco, so I am obviously very pleased about Nico’s performance. He drove a very clean and strong race, and was able to withstand incredible pressure in the last 20 laps to finish fifth despite being on very old tyres. He also pulled off one of the best overtaking moves of this season, so I think he will remember this day for a long time. Unfortunately, today also saw some disappointment as Checo was punted into the barrier on lap one. I am confident he would have been firmly in the fight to score big points as well, but I’m also sure he will bounce back immediately. Our pace looked really strong which is a good sign as we prepare for the next race in Canada.”

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Lotus: Our overall weekend has been disappointing

Romain Grosjean took the chequered flag for his first time in the Monaco Grand Prix with a gritty drive to eighth in the final classification.

Romain was hit from behind on the first lap, damaging a wheel rim which necessitated an early pit stop, but gradually worked his way up the order and into the points. Pastor Maldonado experienced a fuel supply issue with his E22 on the grid and was unable to make the race start.

Romain started from fourteenth position on new super soft tyres, changing to new softs on lap 1 then scrubbed super softs on lap 23.

Pastor was due to start from fifteenth on the grid but a fuel pump issue meant he was unable to commence the formation lap.

Romain Grosjean: “It’s good to finish the race here for the first time in my career and it’s good to get some points too. It started as a pretty bad Sunday for us with a puncture for me on the first lap after Adrian [sutil] drove into me. We swapped to the soft tyres but it was impossible to overtake on these so we came back in for the super softs. The safety car timing didn’t help us as we’d just gone out on the new tyres, but that’s Monaco. You can have thousands of misfortunes in the race, but still be in the points at the end!”

Pastor Maldonado: “We don’t know yet precisely what happened. The engine switched off after 30 seconds. When we did out laps to the grid the car and the power unit were working well. We need to work to find out what the problem was. It is disappointing and I was expecting a solid race, we had a good strategy in place, I love this circuit where I have been competitive in the past. We have already worked hard on performance and reliability but today it was not to be. This afternoon we’re not happy but we are keeping focused on improving.”

Federico Gastaldi, Deputy Team Principal: “We scored some lucky points today but our overall weekend has been disappointing. It’s been very frustrating that Pastor couldn’t start the race and we have to identify the cause of this. Romain stayed focused and did a very good job to score the team some valuable points. We know that we still have work to do and Monaco certainly hasn’t played to our strengths.”

Alan Permane, Trackside Operations Director: “It has been a disappointing weekend for us. Pastor’s car didn’t make it to the start of the race because of what looks like a fuel pump problem. Romain was hit from behind the first lap and got a puncture so we had to pit him early unfortunately. From then on, it was a long afternoon at the back of the field and in the end we were lucky with retirements and managed to score four points for an eighth place finish. We now look ahead to the next race and will work hard to correct issues we have seen here this weekend to get back up to an acceptable level of performance.”

Simon Rebreyend, Renault Sport F1 track support leader: “Scoring points after a puncture on the first lap that dropped him to 19this a fantastic result for Romain; he kept focused and cautious with all the accidents and safety cars to come home eighth. For Pastor it was the opposite as he could not take the start. On the grid the team saw the fuel pressure dropping and on further investigation discovered an issue with the fuel pump. We are still unclear what happened but will look at everything in detail before Canada.”

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McLaren: Sixth and tenth isn’t where we want to be

Despite starting 12th, a brilliantly mature drive by Jenson netted him sixth position at the chequered flag.

Jenson was immediately on the move; he tangled with Sergio Perez at Mirabeau on the opening lap, but was able to continue, then moved into the top 10 following Sebastian Vettel’s retirement. He went ninth when Daniil Kvyat also retired, and timed his pitstop to perfection, switching from Primes to Options just as the Safety Car boards went out at the pit entry.

Nonetheless, he was still jumped by Nico Hulkenberg’s Force India, to run ninth. He slowly made places (running eighth after Jean-Eric Vergne took his drive-through, then seventh following Felipe Massa’s late pitstop) and then capitalised on a late-race problem for Kevin to secure sixth at the flag.

Kevin jumped to seventh at the start by brilliantly driving around the outside of Daniil Kvyat at Ste Devote and was elevated to sixth when Vettel retired.

During the flurry of stops that followed the second Safety Car period of the race, he switched to Options at his stop. However, traffic in the pitlane delayed his release, and he was jumped by Jean-Eric Vergne. Kev jumped Vergne at the end of the Safety Car period, but made the move before it was permissible, and was required by the team to cede the place back. As he was doing this, he was also passed by Hulkenberg, who demoted Kevin to eighth by opportunistically out-braking him at the inside of the second Portier.

Thereafter, Kevin trailed Hulkenberg, closing the German down in the closing laps as his Option tyres began to fade. He was less than a second behind when he encountered a problem with his power-unit, which toppled him down the order. On lap 73, he tangled with Kimi Raikkonen, as the Finn tried unsuccessfully to slice down the inside at the hairpin. Both ended up lodged in the barriers, forcing Kevin to reverse back onto the track. He eventually finished 10th.

Jenson Button: “This was a typical Monaco Grand Prix – it was messy out there; people were making mistakes; there were cars all over the place; you had to stay focused; keep up with the pack, and look after the tyres, using them when necessary. For the entirety of my final stint, I looked after my tyres and dropped back into the clear air behind Kevin. Then it was just about pacing myself to the end. I couldn’t quite get past Nico [Hulkenberg] at the end – he was struggling with his tyres, but whenever I pushed, I struggled as well, so I couldn’t make it stick. In the closing laps, we had a good little battle, but it’s so tough when you’re shoved up behind another car. It’s difficult enough as it is, but when you can’t really see anything because there’s a car in front, it’s even more difficult. This wasn’t a bad result for us – I just wish I could have picked off Nico at the end. It’s just a pity that Kevin’s late-race problem meant we couldn’t get more points for both cars at the finish.”

Kevin Magnussen: “Despite a lot of things going against us today – the long hold due to traffic at my pitstop, the unsafe release in front of me in the pitlane, and the engine issue – I can draw a lot from the fact that our car felt really good. That’s a real positive: it might be hard to see from the outside, but things are moving forward within the team. There were lots of little issues – Jean-Eric’s team probably didn’t calculate his release properly – it’s never the driver’s fault – it’s just one of those things that happens. And it was a pity I didn’t get to finish the battle with Nico [Hulkenberg]; I’d been saving my tyres in the expectation that Nico would struggle, but then I had a problem with my power-unit, which dropped me back. I’m still not really sure what happened with my car at the end of the race. And I didn’t see what happened with Kimi – I went to the inside to block his entry into the hairpin, but he chose to make a move anyway. It’s hard to overtake here, but he tried and it didn’t work. That’s racing.”

Eric Boullier, Racing director, McLaren Mercedes: “Sixth and 10th isn’t where we want to be, but we have to be realistic and acknowledge that this was a good performance – both from the perspective of the team, who worked brilliantly together, and also from both drivers, who drove tenaciously all weekend. Finishing 10th will be tough for Kevin to accept – he looked set for at least sixth place until the closing laps, when a problem with his power-unit dropped him down the order in quick succession. Fortunately, we were able to rectify the problem so he could proceed, but the incident with Kimi obviously didn’t help. As usual, Jenson showed all his customary flair and experience to relentlessly move up the order from 12th on the grid. He was always well positioned to benefit from the incidents and action ahead of him, and judged the second Safety Car [to recover Adrian Sutil’s damaged car] to perfection, choosing to dive into the pits at exactly the right time. Finally, I just want to pass on my congratulations to Jules Bianchi, John Booth, Graeme Lowdon and everybody at the Marussia team for scoring their very first world championship points today. Jules drove fantastically all weekend, and ninth place was a fantastic reward – not only for Jules’ charging drive, but also for the team’s efforts all season to improve and develop their car. They’re a fantastic bunch of guys, and they really deserve this today.”

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'Caterham up for sale'

If you want to own a Formula 1 team now is the time to get in there as Tony Fernandes is reportedly selling his Caterham outfit.

The backmarker team, who have yet to score a single World Championship point and claimed the wooden spoon last season, is going for a reported 350 million pounds.

According to The Edge Malaysia, an unnamed source has revealed that Fernandes is keen to find a buyer for his team.

The Malaysian businessman has circulated an 'information memorandum' in the Middle East.

However, it's not just the F1 team that is up for grabs as Fernandes is selling the entire operation, including the sportscar company.

[MIKA27]

2014 Monaco Grand Prix result

1 Nico Rosberg Mercedes

2 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes

3 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull

4 Fernando Alonso Ferrari

5 Nico Hulkenberg Force India

6 Jenson Button McLaren

7 Felipe Massa Williams

8 Romain Grosjean Lotus

9 Jules Bianchi* Marussia

10 Kevin Magnussen McLaren

11 Marcus Ericsson Caterham

12 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari

13 Kamui Kobayashi Caterham

14 Max Chilton Marussia

Not classified: Maldonado, Perez, Vettel, Kvyat, Sutil, Vergne, Bottas, Gutierrez

*5s penalty.

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BIANCHI POINTS COULD PROVE A LIFELINE FOR LOW BUDGET MARUSSIA TEAM

Jules Bianchi’s remarkable drive to 9th place in the Monaco Grand Prix gave his Marussia team its first world championship points and a huge boost to its prospects of staying alive in F1.

Marussia is one of a number of teams that are close to the edge financially and this result could turn out to be a lifeline.

“It is tough and I would be lying if I didn’t reflect that,” said Sporting Director Graeme Lowden.

The Banbury based team are in their fifth season in F1, the last of the three teams selected by Max Mosley’s FIA regime in 2009 to enter the sport for 2010. US F1 never made it and HRT folded.

Caterham, which was awarded a place on the grid after the others, is still around, but owner Tony Fernandes has clearly fallen out of love with the sport as the team continues to struggle and it is an open secret that he has put it up for sale.

Marussia is owned by wealthy Russian scientist Andrei Cheglakov (above with Bianchi), who was in Monaco to see the race. He has had to give the team hand-outs to keep it afloat and the fact that he can now see progress will probably increase his desire to keep supporting the team.

It could also yield valuable prize money at the end of the season, if it the team can stay eighth ahead of Sauber and Caterham, who have not scored a point so far this season.

“What we are really pleased about that it’s a sign of progress,” said Lowdon. “We only have 196 people. This is direct reward for people who have worked very hard.

“The money paid in the sport is based on results at the end of the season. We known from Brazil 2012 it can all change in a final moment. That had reprecussions in the tens of millions.

“We are only part way through this season, so we keep our feet on the ground.”

Jules Bianchi put in a stunning drive, starting on the soft tyres and pitting for supersofts with over 50 laps to go. He picked up places as others suffered misfortunes and despite dropping from 8th to 9th after a 5 second penalty was added to his race time, he said that improvements at the recent Barcelona test had given the team confidence that a good result was possible in Monaco. They were disappointed after qualifying, especially when Bianchi had to start at the back of the grid with a gearbox penalty.

“The car was much more balanced and that’s why it made it much better for this race,” said Bianchi.

“Now, we have to keep our feet on the ground. We scored points, which is good, but without good luck we won’t be able to be in the points.”

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Raikkonen reprimanded for contact with Magnussen

Kimi Raikkonen has been handed a reprimand for colliding with Kevin Magnussen during the Monaco Grand Prix.

The Ferrari driver was attempting to dive down the inside of the McLaren driver at the hairpin at the Fairmont Hotel to claim sixth, but locked his breaks and ran into the barrier, blocking the circuit and collecting Magnussen as he did.

The pair managed to recover moments later, but the incident knocked Magnussen down to tenth and Raikkonen, who was forced to pit for a new front-wing, down to 12th.

The stewards deemed that the Finn had "illegitimately impeded car 20 [Magnussen] during an overtaking manoeuvre and caused a collision."

The reprimand is Raikkonen's first of the current season. Magnussen dismissed the clash as a racing incident.

"I didn't see what happened with Kimi – I went to the inside to block his entry into the hairpin, but he chose to make a move anyway.

It's hard to overtake here, but he tried and it didn't work. That’s racing."

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“We are not friends we are colleagues”

Lewis Hamilton has shown what a true bad sportsman is all about. Nico Rosberg qualifying incident is very questionable no matter what the data says. I didn’t see him miss that breaking point all weekend.

However Hamilton for the last few weeks has been giving Rosberg a bit of stick in the media about how much better he is than his current team mate and how he has more fight.

” I come from a not great place in Stevenage and lived in my dad’s apartment, and Nico grew up in Monaco with jets and hotels and boats. So the hunger is different. I’ve got to be the hungriest guy in the cockpit to win the World Championship”

Lewis got back a bit of his own medicine at Monaco and doesn’t seem to like it and now has claimed that “We are not friends we are colleagues”

Nico drove a brilliant race and controlled it from start to finish with no complaints. I haven’t seen Nico openly rag Hamilton in the media, even when he has finished second to Lewis for the last 4 races.

I’m sorry but from a fans point of view (mainly being mine) if you are going to dish it then you have to take it. To see Lewis not even wanting to stand close to Nico after qualifying and also after the race just makes him look like a sore loser.

And by the way it made me feel awkward and I was on the couch.

BONUS material: Nico's Monaco mistake

http://youtu.be/m2nBODGy5Eo

MIKA: IMO Johnny has no idea, Anthony Davidson makes the more compelling point. But that's just my opinion however in saying this, obviosuly they (FIA Stewards) decided to rule in favour of Anthony's point of view otherwise Nico wouldn't have been on pole.

[MIKA27]

Hamilton takes swipe at Merc strategy

The Monaco GP promised so much for Lewis Hamilton, but he will leave the Principality upset at Nico Rosberg and upset at Mercedes' strategy.

Having won the previous four races, starting three of them in pole position, Hamilton had to settle for second best during qualifying as team-mate Rosberg got the better of him.

However, all was not hunky-dory in the Mercedes garage on Saturday evening as Hamilton mentioned that he might take his revenge on the track a la Ayrton Senna-Alain Prost style after he was forced to pull out of a final lap in qualifying following a mistake from Rosberg.

While Rosberg eased to the chequered flag for his second Monaco win in a row, Hamilton just about managed to hold onto second place with Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo not far behind him.

Having been less than a second behind Rosberg for most of the race, the 2008 World Champion reported a problem with his eye on lap 58 and he lost plenty of time.

Although he later clarified that his revenge comments were "a joke", he felt he was hard done by Mercedes' strategy after they failed to pit him a lap before the first Safety Car was deployed.

"When I was at McLaren we had two strategists and the strategy from my strategist was to get the best overall result for me," he told Sky Sports F1 afterwards.

"Unfortunately [at Mercedes] we have one overall strategist, and he's amazing, but unfortunately the role in the team is that he has to look out for the number one [driver in the race] and the guy in second has to come second. I knew from the get-go that I had a lesser opportunity to win the race and I needed a miracle to win at a track like this.

"An opportunity occurred where I could have come in. When I was at McLaren, l would have been pulled in on that lap and that may have given me the smallest advantage to get the jump over the Safety Car. But I'll work it out with the team. In these races, you need to grab every opportunity you can. The start was gone, I was closing up and then the [first] Safety Car came out and really after that there was no opportunity."

The 2008 World Champion reported a problem with his eye on lap 58 and he started to lose time.

"I had quite a bit of wind coming in, I got close to Nico at one stage and I got some debris or dirt in my eye," he said.

"I was driving with one eye, which is virtually impossible to do. Through low speed corners I had to close the eye, which made it worse, but with five laps to go it cleared up and I was able to stay ahead of Daniel.

"I drove with all heart and drove fairly all weekend. I leave today quite happy and go in to the next race with even more energy and a new determination."

MIKA: Well you're no longer at McLaren..move on bud.

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Lauda: You have to be a bastard to win in Formula 1

Asked what LewisHamilton had been so angry about in Monaco on Saturday, Lauda, who serves as the non-executive chairman of Mercedes’ F1 operation, said: “They were arguing about it, that Nico did it deliberately, but the stewards cleared him, which for me is the most important.

“Nico said ‘no, I’m sorry that I braked too late’. He apologised, which I have to respect. We had a race incident before in Barcelona where Lewis did something and then we said ‘hey, this is not correct’ and he said ‘I’m sorry’. So basically [they are] both grown-up people and I’m sure that Lewis will overcome this after one night’s sleep.

Put to him that Hamilton didn’t appear in the mood to forgive and forget, Lauda replied: “Give him time. He will sleep tonight, hopefully makes a good party with Nicole, and then [he will] speak to him tomorrow and I guarantee you it will be fixed.

“If not, I’m his mentor anyway and if there’s anymore issues I will call him and say ‘Lewis, come on, work it out’ because I’m supporting both in my ex-driving ideas and sometimes I go against the management.

“I’m in constant contact with him. So maybe he calls me; if not I call him and ask how he is. But not today!”

With the battle for the 2014 Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship increasingly looking likely to be a private affair between Hamilton and Rosberg, Lauda insisted there was nothing unusual in the drivers attempting to seek out advantages over each other.

The Austrian, who drew parallels with his own experiences with Alain Prost at McLaren in 1984 – Lauda won that year’s title, his third, by half a point despite winning two fewer races than his French team-mate and qualifying ahead only once.

Thus Lauda knows exactly what ‘hating’ a teammate feels like, “I had nothing against (Alain) Prost personally — he was complicated but a nice guy. Nevertheless, I hated him and kept all the information from him. I told my engineers not to say anything to him.”

Lauda revealed that while in his view the ‘emotional’ Hamilton was quicker than Rosberg over a single lap, the latter was working hard in other areas to match him, making for a good dynamic.

“Yes, this normal, you can’t stop it,” Lauda said of the rivalry.

“Honestly, one thing is clear: Lewis, from my point of view, has one, two tenths advantage on Nico because he can get the laps in Qualifying in order. Nico is working hard with the mechanics, the engineers, with the tyres, how many laps, forward and backwards.

Rosberg – ‘We’re always friends’

“So we have one natural talent, very emotional, and we have another guy who is doing the same job in another way. So we are in a very comfortable situation. We have two different drivers, but in the end they [have] the same speed, or the same results. So it’s a very good situation. ”

The Austrian, however, made clear that it was up to the Mercedes team to ensure that the rivalry didn’t boil over.

“The tension is building up, no question, but we have to make sure the tension doesn’t get out of hand,” Lauda added. “I know with my experience and with our drivers in the past when it gets out of hand. So if they don’t say hello in the morning anymore to each other, then I think it’s out of hand.”

But despite the increasingly bitter nature of the Hamilton-Rosberg dynamic, the seasoned Lauda declared: “You have to be a bastard if you want to win in Formula 1 anyway. No question. You cannot win being a nice guy. Tell me one nice guy out there?”

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Briatore says F1 needs dictator to survive

Formula 1 needs a dictator to run the sport, according to the flamboyant and often outspoken former team boss Flavio Briatore.

Embroiled in a corruption scandal that could end his reign, Formula 1′s current ‘supremo’, Bernie Ecclestone, has hinted that his bosses at CVC could be about to replace him.

“I feel sorry for him,” Briatore said on his customary trip with his yacht ‘Force Blue’ to Monaco, “but if I was Ecclestone, I would have left five or six years ago.”

Reports suggested that Italian Briatore, who left Formula 1 amid his own scandal some years ago, might be a potential successor for Ecclestone, but the 64-year-old played that down.

Asked if he wants to be the ‘new Bernie’, Briatore told Auto Motor und Sport: “I prefer the old Bernie.”

Pressed as to whether he is interested in the job, however, Briatore just “grinned, turned around and left”, recounted correspondent Michael Schmidt. But before he left, Briatore admitted that he knows the kind of person that needs to be running Formula 1.

“What Formula 1 needs is a dictator,” he said. “He makes the rules and the teams have to follow. If you don’t want to, look for another job.

“Formula 1 is a strong brand,” said Briatore. “Bernie took 30 years to build it, but without him, it could be that it is destroyed in two or three. What is needed now is a man who has a clear plan for the Formula 1 of the future.”

Dieter Zetsche, the chairman of Daimler, also said that amid the corruption scandal that could end Ecclestone’s reign, the next steps for the sport are crucial.

“It is very clear that Bernie Ecclestone is responsible for the success of Formula 1,” Zetsche, whose Mercedes camp is utterly dominating the 2014 season, told Germany’s Welt am Sonntag newspaper.

“That is why it is in everyone’s interest that his incredible work, ‘Formula 1′, which he has built up over the years – the story that he wrote – is not damaged,” he added.

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No luck for Vettel in 100th race for Red Bull

Quadruple Formula 1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel retired from the Monaco Grand Prix, his 100th race for Red Bull, on Sunday.

The 26-year-old German, who had made a good start to take third place from Australian teammate Daniel Ricciardo behind the two Mercedes drivers, slowed on lap four and reported that he had no power.

“Come on guys,” exclaimed the frustrated driver, before adding: “I mean, you’re trying everything.”

After a long pit stop, Vettel returned to the track in last place but then told his team over the radio on lap seven that he was stuck in first gear.

On lap eight, with a string of blue flags warning him to let faster cars through, he was told to return to the pits and retire.

Vettel, winner of the last four championships and final nine races of 2013, has been on the podium just once this season – third in Malaysia in March.

The German started the weekend in fourth place in the championship, 55 points adrift of Lewis Hamilton who had won the last four races for Mercedes.