Lewis Hamilton sucked up paid tribute to McLaren after his Monaco GP win by presenting each McLaren staff member with a special red commemorative victory T-shirt. He also gave a speech to the staff at the team’s Woking factory:
“So I wanted to personally thank each and every one of you, because I’m very conscious that it’s not only the race team – in other words the guys who go to the races – who make our wins possible, but also the hundreds of you back here at the McLaren Technology Centre, working every bit as hard as your colleagues in the race team. So thank you. Thank you so much.”
“Thanks God, you’re almost as awesome as me. See you in Montreal…”
Lewis Hamilton didn’t win the Monaco Grand Prix on his own. He was helped out by God (and of course the wonderful team of mechanics at Vodafone McLaren - mustn’t upset the sponsors). Speaking to the Mirror this week, Lil’ Lewis said:
“God was with me. I needed everyone’s support and I had that in the race.”
Three crashes for the price of one YouTube video - we spoil you, we really do. Fernando Alonso just about got away with his wall scrape, but no such luck for DC and Bourdais, who were both forced to retire - Bourdais might have hit the wall anyway, but he stood no chance of avoiding the Red Bull, not with such poor track grip and visibility.
Lewis, Jenson and mates “strut their stuff” for charity
Who needs a regular catwalk when you can walk around a luxury, open-air swimming pool in Monte Carlo?
And the “driver who should give up his day job and become a model” award goes to: Nelson Piquet Jnr, who looks like he’s walked straight out of a mail-order catalogue.
A whole bunch of cool Monaco links for you to enjoy…
• Mark Webber’s Monaco photo diary, in which he reveals that he told a make-up artist to “poke it” (that’s Aussie for “get lost”) before Petra Ecclestone’s fashion show. [BBC Sport]
Pole star shows off his wet-weather skills in Monte Carlo
Here’s Bobby Kubica - our driver of the season so far - showing why every top team in F1 wants a piece of him. This clip was filmed during qualifying at Monaco last weekend. The Polish driver’s car control and general speed, in perilously wet conditions, is outstanding.
(Get it while it’s hot! F1 videos don’t hang around for long on YouTube.)
We raise a telephoto lens in honour of Monaco’s shiniest stars
Name Brigitte Nielsen Famous for Marrying Dolf Lundgren, huge breasts, appearing on Celebrity Big Brother, being “a bit mental” F1 link? She was good friends with the late Ayrton Senna, and was once married to Swiss driver Raoul Mayer.
We were wrong. He’s actually dating American pop starlet Nicole Scherzinger, a member of Pussycat Dolls. If you’re not aware of their work, the Dolls are a terrible - if slightly hot - all-girl pop group.
Scherzinger hung out with the Hamilton crew at Monaco this weekend. According to various tabloidy sources, Nicole said: “We’ve been seeing each other on and off for three months.”
Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari (finished 9th)
What’s going in in the Finn’s head? Monaco ‘08 was his worst race in years. Desperately slow all weekend and frankly didn’t deserve to score any points. 2/10
Felipe Massa, Ferrari (3rd)
For a man who claims not to like Monaco’s street circuit, he drove a solid race, apart from a couple of spins - but he wasn’t the only driver to lose control of his car in treacherous conditions. Ferrari’s one-stop strategy arguably cost him a victory. 7
