Lewis Hamilton said he was "fighting with the spirit of Niki" as he hung on for a nervy Monaco Grand Prix victory.Despite frantic radio messages to his team, the British driver made his tyres last for more than 60 laps and then held off a charging Max Verstappen.Verstappen and Hamilton made contact in the closing stages as the Red Bull driver attempted a move into the chicane.Hamilton said it was "probably the hardest race I've had", as he won the F1 showpiece for a third time and paid tribute to former champion Niki Lauda, who died this week."I really was fighting with the spirit of Niki," said the Mercedes driver.Image:The drivers gathered around Lauda's crash helmet for a minute's silence"Niki's been such an influential person in our team, helping us get to where we are, so I know he'll be looking down - and I know he'll take his hat off today."I was trying to stay focused and trying to make him proud.

That's kind of been the goal all week and we're going to try to continue that through the year.

But we truly miss him."Earlier this week, Hamilton tweeted: "I'm struggling to believe you are gone.

I will miss our conversations, our laughs, the big hugs after winning races together."Image:Lauda's death came a year after he had a lung transplantAhead of the race, all the F1 drivers wore "Niki" caps as they gathered around Lauda's crash helmet for a moment of silence.Dutch star Verstappen pushed Hamilton all the way in the grand prix that followed and crossed the line second.However, his five-second penalty for colliding with Valtteri Bottas dropped him to fourth, meaning Sebastian Vettel was awarded second and Bottas third.Hamilton now leads the overall standings by 17 points, but it was the first time this season that Mercedes has failed to secure a one-two finish.Image:The Briton is now 17 points clear in the championshipThe death of Niki Lauda dominated much of the build up to the race, with people across the sport paying tribute to the Austrian legend.The former Mercedes and Ferrari driver died age 70 on Monday - a year after a lung transplant.Lauda famously fought back from burns sustained in a horrific crash in 1976 to return to F1 in just six weeks, and eventually won three world championships.