Vettel grabs GP Monaco, sour fifth place Verstappen

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Sebastian Vettel secured a memorable one-two for Ferrari in Sunday's 75th Monaco Grand Prix to extend his world championship lead to a luxurious 25 points over Lewis Hamilton.
Taking full advantage of generous support from his team-mate Kimi Raikkonen, who led from pole position to the start of the pit-stops, the four-time champion came home 3.1 seconds clear of the Finn in glorious Mediterranean sunshine.
Vettel's success was Ferrari's first in the principality in 16 years since seven-time champion Michael Schumacher triumphed in 2001. It was the 82nd 1-2 in the team's history.
It was also the 29-year-old German's second Monaco triumph, his third win this year and the 45th of his career, lifting him 25 points clear of Hamilton of Mercedes in the title race.
Australian Daniel Ricciardo, who was unlucky not to win last year, finished third for Red Bull, despite hitting the barrier at Ste Devote, ahead of Valtteri Bottas of Mercedes and Dutch teenager Max Verstappen in the second Red Bull.

Carlos Sainz was a well-judged sixth for Toro Rosso ahead of Hamilton, who had started 13th, and Frenchman Romain Grosjean of Haas.

Felipe Massa was ninth for Williams ahead of Dane Kevin Magnussen in the second Haas.
Jenson Button, back for one race to replace two-time champion Fernando Alonso, who was due to race at the Indianapolis 500 later Sunday, retired his McLaren after a collision with German Pascal Wehrlein's Sauber.
The crash left Wehrlein's car on its side at Portier, but he was unhurt.
On a perfect afternoon on the Cote d'Azur, the track temperature was 50 degrees and the air 26 as the drivers stood for a minute's silence in memory of the victims of the Manchester terrorist attack.
At the start, Raikkonen pulled clear to lead from Vettel and Bottas with Hamilton passing Vandoorne to take 12th on the opening lap.
The conditions were ideal for sunbathing, but not for race incidents as the field stretched out, the top eight remaining in grid order.

By lap seven, Raikkonen was two seconds clear of Vettel and 5.2 ahead of third-placed Bottas.

Hamilton's frustrations behind Kyvat were clear before he complained on team radio. "Our race comes later," said his engineer 'Bono'.
On a circuit with only two possible overtaking places - at Ste. Devote and at the chicane after the tunnel, both requiring co-operation - this was hardly welcome news for those hoping for something other than a processional contest decided by pit stops or reliability.
- perfectly executed -
Hamilton finally advanced one place after 16 laps when German Nico Hulkenberg retired, his Renault spewing oil at Portier. When Sergio Perez pitted, from seventh, for front wing repairs, he was 10th.
By lap 27, Raikkonen was behind Button's McLaren, but without blue flags waved to tell the Englishman to move aside. "How close do I have to get?" said the Finn.

This delay allowed the leaders to close up until, on lap 28, they surged past Button.

Raikkonen then passed Wehrlein who, briefly, held up Vettel. The gaps re-opened to 1.5 and 3.5 seconds with Ferrari in clear command.
The first leader to pit was Verstappen from fourth after 32 laps followed immediately by Bottas whose Mercedes' crew did their job 0.8 seconds quicker than the Dutchman's.
When Vettel pitted after 39 laps, he rejoined in the lead ahead of Raikkonen with Ricciardo third, thanks to fast pre-stop laps, and Bottas fourth.
For Ferrari, it seemed a perfectly executed plan to enable Vettel to win, and boost his drivers' championship bid, had unfolded.
Hamilton finally came in after 45 laps from sixth, rejoining seventh, but Vettel was out of sight, nine seconds down the road and clear of Raikkonen, with Ricciardo a further five seconds adrift in third.
By lap 50, it was 10.2 seconds and the paddock was abuzz with claims about Vettel's undisputed status as Ferrari's number one driver.

Attention was soon refocused on the track when, on lap 60, the Safety Car was deployed after Wehrlein was tipped into the barrier at Portier.

Verstappen took advantage of the pause to pit for fresh ultra-soft tyres before, when the action resumed after 66 laps, the final chase, and battle of attrition, began.

Source -  https://sports.ndtv.com/

James Bond actor Roger Moore died of cancer

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LONDON - British actor Roger Moore, who played the womanising superspy James Bond over two decades with a suave wit, died Tuesday aged 89, his children announced.

"It is with a heavy heart that we must announce our loving father, Sir Roger Moore, has passed away today in Switzerland after a short but brave battle with cancer," they said in a statement published on Twitter.

"We are all devastated," Deborah, Geoffrey and Christian said, adding: "Thank you Pops for being you, and for being so very special to so many people."

Moore won fame as the smooth-talking adventurer Simon Templar in British television show "The Saint" in the 1960s, and also starred alongside Tony Curtis in "The Persuaders" in the 1970s.

But it was not until 1973, at the age of 45, that he won the role that for many fans would come to define him, as Bond novelist Ian Fleming's fictional secret agent.

Moore made his debut as 007 in "Live and Let Die", following it with six more films, only bowing out with 1985's "A View to a Kill", when he was 57.

In later years Moore became known for his humanitarian work, notably through his activities as a UNICEF ambassador, helping raise funds for under-privileged children.

"With the passing of Sir Roger Moore, the world has lost one of its great champions for children - and the entire UNICEF family has lost a great friend," the UN agency's executive director Anthony Lake said.

Moore's children said he considered the UNICEF work -- for which he was given a knighthood in 2003 -- his "greatest achievement".

"We know our own love and admiration will be magnified many times over, across the world, by people who knew him for his films, his television shows and his passionate work for UNICEF, which he considered to be his greatest achievement," they said.

"The affection our father felt whenever he walked on to a stage or in front of a camera buoyed him hugely and kept him busy working into his 90th year, through to his last appearance in November 2016 on stage at London's Royal Festival Hall.

"The capacity crowd cheered him on and off stage, shaking the very foundations of the building just a short distance from where he was born."

They said their thoughts were with his fourth wife, Kristina, adding that there would be a private funeral in Monaco.


Here are well-known films and TV series in which Roger Moore starred:

- 1953: "Pickup on south street" (Samuel Fuller)
- 1954: "The last time I saw Paris" (Richard Brooks)
- 1956: "Diane" (David Miller)
- 1961: "Romulus and the Sabines" (Richard Pottier)
- 1962 - 1969: "The Saint" (television series)
- 1971 - 1972: "The Persuaders" (television series)
- 1973: "Live and let die" (Guy Hamilton)
- 1974: "The man with the golden gun" (Guy Hamilton)
- 1975: "That lucky touch" (Christopher Miles)
- 1976: "The spy who loved me" (Lewis Gilbert)
- 1978: "The wild geese" (Andrew McLagen)
- 1979: Moonraker (Lewis Gilbert)
- 1980: "The Sea Wolves" (Andrew McLagen)
- 1981: "For your eyes only" (John Glen)
- 1983: Octopussy (John Glen)
- 1984: "The naked face" (Bryan Forbes)
- 1985: "A view to kill" (John Glen)
- 1996: "The Quest" (Jean-Claude Van Damme)

Source - TheNation