Sebastian Vettel produced a number of fast laps during the pit-stop phase to move ahead of team-mate Kimi Raikkonen and claim victory in Monaco.
The German slid in behind the Finn on the run to the first corner, holding off a tentative attack by Valtteri Bottas, and when given the clear track to push, found more than enough pace in his used tyres to go on and claim his third win of 2017 and second in Monte Carlo.
While it was questionable why Ferrari pitted Kimi early, although those behind has also begun to pit, it was simply the extra pace Vettel had that proved decisive and allowed him to come out ahead three laps later in the lead.
Daniel Ricciardo mirrored Vettel's pace and strategy and he too benefitted, clearing team-mate Max Verstappen and Bottas' Mercedes to jump from fifth to third before going on to complete the podium for Red Bull.
Another man to watch was Lewis Hamilton, as the second Mercedes driver looked to make up ground from 13th on the grid. Though he would pass Stoffel Vandoorne at the start, he like many endured a processional race behind Daniil Kvyat.
That was until the pit-stops when the Briton was able to make the most of clear air as others pitted and move up to seventh after switching to the supersoft tyres.
The order looked mostly set, until the only Safety Car period was called following a scary collision between Pascal Wehrlein and Jenson Button, which left the Sauber on its side against the barrier on the exit of Portier.
Thankfully, the German appears OK, although the incident did see what is likely to be for sure Button's final race in F1 end in the escape road with suspension damage.
What it did allow for, however, was several drivers, including Verstappen, to change back to the ultrasoft tyres for a final sprint to the finish. Though that would have little impact in the battle at the front, it did cause trouble behind as Sergio Perez looked to make up for lost time having fallen behind Lance Stroll after pitting early.
Firstly, the Mexican moved up the inside of Stoffel Vandoorne at Saint Devote at the restart, pushing the Belgian into an area with a lot of debris as the tarmac broke up and resulting in the McLaren driver crashing into the wall. Later, the Force India looked to make a move on Kvyat at Rasscasse but contact saw the Russian forced into retirement and dropped Perez down the order and out of the points.
It also gave Hamilton the chance to attack Kvyat's team-mate Sainz for sixth but it would be a fruitless chase as the Spaniard completed an impressive weekend for Toro Rosso.
Behind Hamilton in seventh, Romain Grosjean claimed eighth for Haas with Felipe Massa and Kevin Magnussen benefiting from Perez and Kvyat's demise to complete the top 10.
Focusing back on Vettel, he now moves a full 25 points clear of Hamilton atop the Drivers' championship with Ferrari, after their first win in Monaco in 16 years, taking command in the Constructors' standings with a 17-point cushion heading across the Atlantic to Montreal for the Canadian Grand Prix in two weeks time.
