Gamble fails in Monaco

MONACO – An ill-judged gamble by Mercedes cost Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton his fourth win of the season, gifting his teammate and rival Nico Rosberg a third straight win at the Monaco Grand Prix and putting him firmly back in the title race.

Formula One’s showcase race passes by the famed Monte Carlo casino, where big fortunes have been won and lost on its famed tables over the decades.

But Rosberg could never have imagined hitting the jackpot in such a way, as Hamilton was suddenly called back to the pits for a tire change shortly after a crash involving teenager Max Verstappen led to a safety car being deployed.

It was an astonishing mistake from F1’s ultra-dominant team, with Hamilton more than 15 seconds ahead at that point. It led to an apology from Mercedes head of motorsport Toto Wolff, who seemed more baffled than convincing, as he explained that the decision was based on a technological data feed rather than any strategy.

“I don’t think there has ever been a more bittersweet feeling than this one. We have won the Monaco Grand Prix and we have lost the Monaco Grand Prix all at the same time,” Wolff said. “This is a day when we simply have to say sorry to our driver, because our mistake cost him the victory here. What happened? In simple terms, we got our numbers wrong.”

Hamilton did not look happy, walking slowly and despondently out of his car with his head down.

“I can’t really express the way I feel at the moment, so I won’t even attempt to,” Hamilton said.

The two-time champion had good cause to feel angry.

Rosberg, who won the Spanish GP two weeks ago, is now just 10 points behind after securing back-to-back wins for the first time in his career. Four-time F1 champion Sebastian Vettel is less of a threat, but the Ferrari driver finished second to close the gap on Hamilton to 28 points heading into the Canadian GP in two weeks’ time.

Hamilton looked set to take his 37th career win after leading from the start, until the 17-year-old Verstappen rammed his Toro Rosso into Romain Grosjean’s Lotus as he tried to overtake on the right.

That meant a safety car had to come out at the start of the 64th lap, at which point Hamilton was then called in to change to quicker and softer tires. After the change, he suddenly found himself behind both Rosberg and Vettel.

Hamilton then had only a few laps to try and get past them – on the most difficult track to overtake on F1.

Asked how he will respond, a dejected-looking Hamilton said: “Come back to win the next one.”