Lewis Hamilton of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes wins the 2008 Monaco Grand Prix! The spectacular racer took the lead in the continuing battle for the Formula One Drivers’ Championship as well. He took the chequered flag 3.0sec in front of Robert Kubica (BMW Sauber) and 4.8sec ahead of Felipe Massa (Ferrari) after two hours and 76 laps (253.840 kms). In addition to this, Heikki Kovalainen, Lewis’ teammate finished eighth place.
At the beginning of the formation lap, Lewis Hamilton was not able to engage a gear. As a result, he had to start from the pit lane. This underscores Hamilton’s sixth Grand Prix victory and the second of the season after the Australia GP.
“I am absolutely over the moon. To win here in Monaco is the highlight of my career and an occasion I will always remember. I want to thank everybody in the team for their fantastic job, and also my family for their continuous support. It was a very eventful race. I started well and immediately overtook Kimi, and also saw a chance to attack Felipe, but then the rain got heavier and visibility worsened. At the Tabac corner, there was a lot of water on the track, and suddenly I had over steer and hit the barrier. It was just a slight touch, but the tyre was damaged and I had to pit. Fortunately, the first Safety Car period helped me to close the gap to the front. We changed our strategy, and I had to make only one more stop. When I was about 40 seconds ahead the team told me over the radio to take it easy. The second Safety Car period brought more excitement, but I was able to control the race also after the second re-start. What a day and what a result,” says Lewis Hamilton.
