MONACO (AP) - Lewis Hamilton's stressful win at Monaco Grand Prix extended his championship lead to 17 points after six races, yet perhaps more importantly it reminded him just why he loves Formula One racing.
Holding off Max Verstappen on fading tires that made his Mercedes slip around, Hamilton clinched his fourth win of the season and 77th of a glittering career. The five-time F1 champion ranked it among his best five drives.
"I appreciate a tough race," Hamilton said. "Ultimately as an athlete you want the toughest battles when they come."
Verstappen, despite being hit by a five-second time penalty, would have been hard to catch had he got ahead of Hamilton. For more than 30 laps, Hamilton managed to both maintain his speed and fend off Verstappen - one of the most aggressive and quickest drivers in F1.
It was a particularly poignant win for Hamilton, who dedicated it to the memory of friend and mentor Niki Lauda, who died on Monday at the age of 70 less than one year after a lung transplant.
"I definitely felt he was with me today," said Hamilton.
The day belonged to both Hamilton and to the memory of the much-loved Lauda.
Fittingly, Verstappen drove brilliantly, too, considering he was not just chasing Hamilton but also competing against his time penalty. Even though he finished just behind Hamilton, Verstappen placed fourth overall behind Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas in third and Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel in second.
Before the race, drivers wore red caps for a minute's silence in Lauda's memory.
********Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain sees his car in front of Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas of Finland during the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix race, at the Monaco racetrack, in Monaco, May 26, 2019.