Nico’s home win prompts protest

Nico Rosberg’s Monaco Grand Prix victory has been overshadowed by protests launched against Mercedes by two of their main rivals.

Red Bull and Ferrari lodged complaints before the race over secret tyre tests conducted by the team in conjunction with Pirelli on May 15-17 in Barcelona.

Upon hearing representations from the three teams and Pirelli, stewards confirmed they will write a report to the FIA “who may bring the matter before the International Tribunal”.

Any potential penalty that Mercedes are likely to incur will involve a fine, race ban or points deduction, rather than any belated action against this event.

In an eventful race, which was delayed for 25 minutes after Max Chilton and Pastor Maldonado collided, Mercedes driver Rosberg grabbed the win ahead of Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel.

His success comes exactly 30 years after father Keke took the chequered flag around the streets of the principality.

Not surprisingly, Rosberg expressed delight with only his second F1 victory: “This is my home. I’ve grown up here, lived all my life here, I’ve gone to school here. The whole weekend really went perfectly.”

A fortnight ago in Spain Rosberg had started on pole, but ended a disappointing sixth after his car rapidly chewed up the tyres.

On this occasion, after finishing quickest in all three practice sessions and then edging team-mate Lewis Hamilton to pole, the victory was the icing on the cake.

Kimi Raikkonen, who collided with McLaren’s Sergio Perez late on, managed to extend his run of points finishes to 23 — one short of Michael Schumacher’s all-time record — by taking 10th.

Perez believes the collision with Raikkonen could have been avoided if the Lotus driver had given him more room.

The incident arrived on the 69th lap when Perez sought to overtake the Finn, but the pair made contact.

Raikkonen suffered a left-rear puncture as a result, while Perez retired with brake difficulties a few laps from home.

Perez admitted it was a risky move, but said the blame did not lie with him.

“If you look at the accident I hit the wall on entry of the corner, so Kimi gave me no room at all and there was nothing I could do to avoid it.”

Perez was instructed earlier in the race to yield a place to team-mate Button for twice cutting corners.

Unlike in Bahrain when Perez and Button were forced into clear-the-air talks after almost running one another off the track, team boss Martin Whitmarsh sees no reason to speak again to the 23-year-old.