MONTE CARLO, Monaco, 26 May 2008 — Lewis Hamilton overcame an early accident and wet conditions yesterday to win the Monaco Grand Prix and take the lead in the title race.
The McLaren driver, who started third on the grid, finished three seconds ahead of BMW Sauber’s Robert Kubica while pole sitter Felipe Massa of Ferrari was third at Formula One’s most famous race.
“That was a fantastic job as always,” a pumped-up Hamilton said to his team over the radio. “I apologize for hitting the barrier. Let’s go party tonight.”
The 23-year-old Briton swiped the wall early on but took advantage of Massa’s mistake on the slick street circuit to earn his sixth career win.
Massa, starting from pole, ran off the track 25 laps in to lose the lead with Hamilton able to make up the difference.
Hamilton improved to 38 points in the overall standings, three better than defending world champion Kimi Raikkonen, who finished out of the points in ninth. The Ferrari driver’s poor day began with a drive-through penalty and culminated with an accident involving Force India driver Adrian Sutil.
Massa is third with 34 points and Kubica next on 32.
Hamilton hung on despite seeing a 40-second advantage erased with 20 minutes remaining when the safety car emerged after Nico Rosberg of Williams crashed.
Red Bull’s Mark Webber was fourth ahead of Sebastian Vettel of Toro Rosso. Rubens Barichello of Honda, Kazuki Nakajima of Williams and Heikki Kovalainen rounded out the places in the points.
The morning rain came and went as drivers took on the tight street circuit without the banned driver aids that help improve traction control.
Kovalainen, fourth on the grid, had to start last after stalling before the formation lap.
Hamilton was sandwiched between the Ferraris after moving ahead of Raikkonen in a clean start for the 20-car field.
Showers picked up and shooting spray had lap times nearly 20 seconds slower than Saturday’s qualifying and Hamilton pitted six laps in after his right rear tire brushed the wall.
David Coulthard lost control of his Red Bull car for the second straight day to crash out before Toro Rosso’s Sebastien Bourdais reared into him to bring out the safety car for the first time. Six drivers would retire as the 78-lap race was transformed into a clock countdown with Hamilton in front at the end. Raikkonen was then dealt a drive-through penalty for not fitting his tires in time to start the race and the Finn dropped to fourth behind Hamilton, with Kubica trailing Massa.
Hamilton, who won a wet Japan GP last year, was 17 seconds ahead with half of the 78-laps raced.
With the track drying out, Hamilton set another fastest lap — three seconds better than Massa — to push out. The McLaren driver was clear with only the weather to worry about after a quick pit after 54 laps and the dry tires fitted.
Sutil was set to score Force India’s first points with a fourth place finish before Raikkonen underbroke to run into him with seven minutes remaining.
The glamour of Monaco’s race carried into the pit lane with film director Quentin Tarantino, actress Michelle Yeoh, entertainment mogul Sean “P. Diddy” Combs and tennis star Boris Becker all on hand.
