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Vettel Ends Ferrari’s 16-Year Long Wait for Monaco GP Victory

Sebastian Vettel became the first Ferrari driver since Michael Schumacher in 2001 to win the Monaco Grand Prix.

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Sebastian Vettel extended his Formula One championship lead over Lewis Hamilton to 25 points on Sunday after becoming the first Ferrari driver since Michael Schumacher in 2001 to win the showcase Monaco Grand Prix.

Vettel’s Finnish teammate Kimi Raikkonen, who started on pole for the first time in nine years but lost the lead in the pitstops, finished second.

It’s obviously a great day for the team...great to get the points, great to get the win.
Sebastian Vettel
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It was a bad weekend for Mercedes, with Lewis Hamilton finishing seventh after starting from 13th following a poor qualifying session. Red Bull's Max Verstappen was fifth ahead of Spanish driver Carlos Sainz Jr.

It was Vettel's 45th career win was the German's third in six races this season, but there was plenty of sympathy for Raikkonen, who last won with Lotus in 2013.

Raikkonen looked far from happy on the podium, staring fixedly ahead and taking gulps of the Champagne as Vettel sprayed his.

It’s still second place but it doesn’t feel awful good. It’s how it goes sometimes.
Kimi Raikkonen
Sebastian Vettel became the first Ferrari driver since Michael Schumacher in 2001 to win the Monaco Grand Prix.
Kimi Raikkonen looked far from happy on the podium, taking gulps of the Champagne as Vettel sprayed his. (Photo: AP)

Australian Daniel Ricciardo took his second successive podium with third place for Red Bull.

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In a race with plenty of sunshine and minimal overtaking, late crashes ensured the safety car made its traditional Monaco appearance.

While Raikkonen led for the first 34 laps, the writing was on the wall at the pitstops with a consensus emerging already before the start that Ferrari would favour the championship leader.

It was a very tense race. I knew that (staying out) was the chance to win and I was able to use that window and come out ahead. After that I was able to control the gap behind
Sebastian Vettel

What had been a processional race, with the wider new cars making overtaking more difficult, turned into sudden drama with a collision between Jenson Button's McLaren and Pascal Wehrlein's Sauber at the tunnel entrance.

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Wehrlein's car was flipped on its side against the tyre wall and fence, with the German driver trapped inside and marshals unable to do anything about it, after Button went down the inside in what looked like a wildly optimistic attempt to pass.

Button parked his damaged car at the other end of the tunnel with the safety car deployed.

Wehrlein's team mate Marcus Ericsson then ploughed straight on into the barriers at the first corner with 13 laps remaining.

Ricciardo gained his places on strategy, with Dutch teammate Max Verstappen venting his fury over the radio with some pithy language after discovering he was behind his team mate despite starting in front.

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Sebastian Vettel became the first Ferrari driver since Michael Schumacher in 2001 to win the Monaco Grand Prix.
As Ricciardo gained his places on strategy, Dutch teammate Max Verstappen vented his fury over the radio. (Photo: AP)

Verstappen finished fifth, behind Valtteri Bottas for Mercedes, with Carlos Sainz sixth for Toro Rosso. Frenchman Romain Grosjean was eighth.

Brazilian Felipe Massa was ninth for Williams and Denmark's Kevin Magnussen took the final point for Haas. Mexican Sergio Perez was 13th, ending his run of 15 successive points finishes for Force India.

Former champions McLaren's hopes of a first point of the season had already disappeared 12 laps from the end when Belgian rookie Stoffel Vandoorne, who had been 10th, crashed at the same place as Ericsson.

Renault's Nico Hulkenberg was the first to retire, pulling over at the tunnel entrance with smoke coming out of the rear of his Renault on lap 16.

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Topics:  Sebastian Vettel   Ferrari   Monaco 

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