Monaco GP: Lewis Hamilton thanks Nico Rosberg for helping him win

Reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton has thanked his Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg for his gentleman-like conduct that helped the British driver to win his first Formula One race of the season at the Monaco Grand Prix. 

Rosberg, who started on the grid in second position, struggled to match up with pole-positioned Daniel Ricciardo of Red Bull in the early stages of the race, thus prompting Mercedes to order him to allow Hamilton take the advantage. Subsequently, a pit blunder by Red Bull allowed Hamilton to win the race and slash down the drivers' title deficit from Rosberg to 24 points.

Reflecting on the same, Hamilton revealed the team has an agreement in which if one of the drivers is off the pace and is affecting other's chance to win the race then he would have to let him through, Sport24 reported. The 30-year-old said as soon as the rain started he knew he could outpace Rosberg or Ricciardo. 

Australian Ricciardo later went on to finish the race at second position while Force India's Mexican Sergio Perez finished third. Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel finished fourth followed by McLaren's Fernando Alonso, Force India's Nico Hulkenberg and Rosberg.