Formula 1

Rosberg – “It Was Important for me to Break Lewis’ Momentum”

3 Mins read

Mercedes AMG Petronas are celebrating their fifth consecutive 1-2 finish after the Silver Arrows finished line astern and split by less than ten seconds in the 2014 Grand Prix de Monaco. Nico Rosberg‘s second victory this year, backed up by Lewis Hamilton‘s 1st second place finish of the season gave the team a claim to the honour of being only the third team to take five consecutive 1-2 finishes in Formula 1 history.

After taking a controversial, though not contested by the stewards, pole in Qualifying on Saturday Nico Rosberg made good his escape as the lights went out. Even a safety car wasn’t enough to put Rosberg off his stride. Both cars just pitted while the SLS AMG was on the track, rejoining the circuit and retaining their dominant position. Rosberg’s race became easier in the dying phase of the Grand Prix when Hamilton fell into the clutches of Infiniti Red Bull Racing‘s Daniel Ricciardo and was forced to defend.

Rosberg said, “It was a tough race out there today but I am absolutely delighted to have won my second Monaco Grand Prix in succession. It’s an amazing feeling and I’m proud to have done it at home, in front of my family and friends who were all here this afternoon. The race started well and I was comfortable but then we had to manage my fuel consumption and Lewis was pushing really hard behind me. We were able to be in control of the fuel with a few laps of lift and coast.

“It was important for me to break Lewis’ momentum of winning the last four races this weekend. That worked out very well, but it was a really tough weekend. I’m so happy for the team that we had another one-two finish and look forward to the party tonight!”

Hamilton added, “I felt very strong out there today and I really drove with all my heart, giving everything that I could to improve my position. This just hasn’t been my weekend but I can leave today feeling happy that we have achieved another one-two finish for the team. We have such a great car and everyone who has worked on it deserves the incredible results that we are getting at the moment.

“Back to this afternoon, this is such a difficult circuit to overtake. I was following Nico as close as I could and had great pace but I just couldn’t get past. Towards the end, I got some dirt in my eye through the visor which made it very tough for a few laps but thankfully it cleared up and I was able to hold off Daniel and keep second place. This hasn’t been the greatest of weekends but I’ll go into the next race with even more energy and determination. The team are working so hard and we’re determined to keep the momentum going.”

Toto Wolff, head of Motorsport at Mercedes-Benz enthused, “[It’s] a fantastic result for the team after a weekend where we had the pressure to deliver on the car’s potential here in Monaco. Six wins from six races, and five one-two finishes in a row, is a very special achievement at the start of this 2014 season.

“Congratulations to Nico for a faultless race and to Lewis for following him home in spite of some unexpected challenges this afternoon. We were driving a controlled race when the Safety Car forced us to pit earlier than had been planned for our only stop of the afternoon. After that, both drivers pushed hard and that had the consequence that they started to run out of rear tyres in the closing laps. When Lewis had the problem with his eye, that was when Daniel Ricciardo came close. It just goes to show that we must never give up pushing because our rivals are right behind us – and working hard to run us down. We have absolutely no margin for error because if we make one little slip, our rivals are right there. We will enjoy this moment – but the hard work continues tomorrow at the factory. “

Four points now split Nico Rosberg from Lewis Hamilton at the top of the World Driver’s Championship title standings with Rosberg on 122 and Hamilton on 118. Mercedes AMG Petronas currently hold a staggering 141 point advantage in the Constructor’s title over defending champion team, Infiniti Red Bull Racing.

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I am a photographer, writer and podcast presenter, specialising in GT and Endurance racing. I've been with The Checkered Flag since 2014, covering a wide range of racing series from Formula Ford to Formula 1, with British GT the main focus of my work. You can hear me monthly on the British GT Fans Show which can be found in our Recommended Listening section.
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