As they say in Monaco, qualifying is everything, and Mercedes AMG’s Nico Rosberg showed exactly why.

Having qualified on pole for the 2013 Monaco Grand Prix this past weekend, Rosberg went on to win yesterday’s action-filled race without once losing his lead position, registering just the second win of his F1 career. And this, despite two safety car periods and one red flag interruption.

Rosberg’s win came exactly 30 years after his father, Keke, won at Monaco in 1983, which, incidentally, was also his second career win.  

Red Bull Racing, meanwhile, continued to plunder podium places this season, with star driver Sebastian Vettel claiming second and his team-mate Mark Webber claiming third.

Unfortunately for Rosberg’s team-mate Lewis Hamilton, positions lost during a crucial pit stop at the start of the first safety car period meant the young Briton could only finish fourth.

That initial safety car was brought out due to Ferrari driver Felipe Massa’s strange repeat of his accident in the final free practice session on Saturday, which saw him start at the back of the grid. Massa lost control on the run to turn one during lap 29 and slid into the barriers on the left side of the track and then straight-lined into the barriers ahead. A problem with the car was later discovered to be the cause of the accident.

Behind the lead pack was the Lotus of Kimi Räikkönen who had to deal with Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso as well as the dueling McLarens of Jenson Button and Sergio Perez. Alonso’s car just didn’t have the performance and the Spaniard started losing positions. At the Loews hairpin as Alonso momentarily ran wide, he was clipped by Perez but everything seemed to be fine on board the Ferrari. On lap 44 Perez tried a bold move on the Ferrari at the chicane as Alonso rode the curb to avoid a collision, but it did not stick.

On lap 47, there was a huge crash at Tabac, when Englishman Max Chilton in the Marussia was defending from Pastor Maldonado in the Williams and the collision threw the Venezuelan’s car into a barrier. The barrier ended up wrapping itself around the Williams, blocking the track. Race organizers immediately red flagged the race and the rest of the field reformed on the grid. The cars were released behind the Safety Car for one lap.

Then, on lap 62, the safety car was brought out again after Lotus’ other driver Romain Grosjean drove his car into the back of Daniel Ricciardo’s Toro Rosso on the run out of the tunnel. Racing resumed on lap 67. Lap 70 then saw Perez damage his front wing trying to pass Räikkönen at the chicane, so the Finn’s race was delayed as he had to pit with a puncture, while the Mexican still managed to continue in his McLaren, the damage to the car saw him drop down the ranks.

In the end, Sutil finished in fifth, followed by button in sixth, Alonso in seventh, Toro Rosso’s other driver Jean-Eric Vergne in eighth, Force India’s other driver Paul di Resta in ninth and finally Räikkönen rounding out the top ten.

The F1 circus now heads across the Atlantic for the Canadian Grand Prix in a fortnight. Going into the first North American event of the season, Sebastian Vettel remains at the top of the Drivers’ Championship table with 107 points, followed by Kimi Räikkönen in second with 86 points and Fernando Alonso in third with 78 points.

In the Constructors’ Championship, Red Bull Racing remains the clear leader with 164 points, followed by Ferrari in second with 123 points and Lotus not far behind with 112 points.

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