Strategy pays off for Lewis Hamilton

Finally Lewis Hamilton holds his 44th career victory. Weaned from success since Austin in 2015 and his third world title, the Briton has twisted his neck to the bad luck which had pursued him for several events.

However, the world champion was not necessarily the fastest at the start of the race against the Red Bull de Daniel Ricciardo, very effective on the wet Monaco track. It is ultimately the strategy map that the former pilot McLaren played to reverse the trend.

“I noticed that after their stops, especially Nico (Rosberg) and Sebastian (Hag) weren't much faster than me, if at all. My tires weren't really damaged, so I said to myself: I'm going to stay on the track, underlines Hamilton at a press conference.

The team said we should go back, but I knew I would come out behind Daniel. So I took my tires as far as I could and luckily right at the end...I came in just at the right time.

Personally, I didn't choose the tires. It was my choice to stay on the rain tire. I thought I might be able to make just one stop, and when I stopped, I guess they (the team) thought, with the track being wet, the ultra-soft tire would be the quickest to warm up. . »

The world champion also recognized the superb performance of Ricciardo, who lost big in a mistake by his team. “Daniel drove just phenomenal. He was very close. Huge respect for him and the way he drove today and a big, big thank you to the team. »

Hamilton took the opportunity to come back to 24 points behind his teammate Nico Rosberg, only seventh this Sunday.

Find the report and analysis of the Monaco Grand Prix, produced by our special correspondents in the Principality, in AUTO issue 2065hebdo, available from tomorrow either in digital version, and from this Wednesday on newsstands.