Rosberg finishes P7 and championship lead is cut to 24 points; German was told to let Hamilton through by Mercedes early on
Monday 13 June 2016 12:15, UK
Nico Rosberg says he just had no confidence in his Mercedes in Monaco as his championship lead was cut to 24 points.
The German started the race on the front row but Daniel Ricciardo was able to build a sizeable gap in the rain, and Rosberg was then instructed by his team to let eventual race winner Lewis Hamilton through.
The timing of pitstops and being stuck behind a stubborn Fernando Alonso then slowed Rosberg, who was also passed by Nico Hulkenberg on the final lap to finish his adopted home grand prix down in seventh.
"I'm definitely baffled by that lack of pace initially," Rosberg told Sky F1 after Hamilton secured a 19-point swing. "I don't know what you can call it, but I just felt no confidence in the car on those intermediates.
"After that it didn't go my way on the pitstops. Once you're behind in Monaco, that's it."
Both Rosberg and Hamilton were quick to insist that they had put their Barcelona crash behind them coming into the weekend but tensions could have flared again when the Brit was all over the back of the sister W07 early on.
Mercedes' call to tell Rosberg to move aside certainly looks a wise one after Hamilton's stunning victory.
But while Rosberg accepted it was the right thing to do, he said it was "painful" to let his main championship rival past.
"It was pretty simple at the time," he added. "I was very far off the pace and Lewis still had a chance to win the race, as he did.
"It was quite straightforward in the team. You give the other guy a chance to win the race, it's always been like that. "It was a simple, of course painful, decision at the time.
Sky F1 pundit Damon Hill felt that after Hamilton secured his first win of the season, the momentum in the title race could now swing in his favour.
"You have to feel like normal service has resumed," Hill said.
