Highlights - Webber wins Monaco GP
Mark Webber produced a superb display to storm to victory for Red Bull in an incident-packed Monaco Grand Prix. For the second consecutive race, Webber won from pole, controlling the race to win from team-mate Sebastian Vettel. Renault's Robert Kubica took third, with Ferrari's Felipe Massa fourth ahead of McLaren's Lewis Hamilton. Ferrari's Fernando Alonso was pipped to sixth by Michael Schumacher but the Mercedes driver was later penalised 20 seconds for an illegal overtaking move. A stewards' inquiry after the race found that the German had breached rules in passing Alonso as they accelerated towards the last corner as the safety car pulling into the pits.
Schumacher sneaks past Alonso on last corner
The stewards ruled the manoeuvre was in breach of article 40.13 of the sporting regulations, which states: "If the race ends while the safety car is deployed it will enter the pit lane at the end of the last lap and the cars will take the chequered flag as normal without overtaking." Alonso had driven a superb race to edge himself into the top six after a crash in final practice on Saturday meant he missed qualifying and started from the pit lane. Schumacher's penalty dropped him to 12th and lifted all those below him a place, including team-mate Nico Rosberg to seventh, a place down on his grid position. Another German, Adrian Sutil was eighth, 0.3 seconds ahead of team-mate Vitantonio Luizzi. The only other drivers to finish were Toro Rosso pair Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguesuari in 10th and 11th. Jenson Button - last year's Monaco winner - had his race ended as early as lap three after he was forced to stop at Sainte Devote with smoke billowing from his car from a broken engine.
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Webber's victory, his second in succession following last weekend's win from pole in Spain, sees him surpass previous championship leader Button to head the standings. The Australian is now on 78 points, the same as Vettel, but is classified ahead because he has won two grands prix to his team-mate's one - with Alonso on 75 points and Button fourth, having added nothing to his pre-race total of 70. "It is absolutely incredible," said Webber. "It's the greatest day of my life today, to win here is very, very special. "This place is such a test. I knew what I had a lot to do and I'm absolutely elated to join the winners around here. It's the blue riband event." Webber made a clean start and held his lead into Sainte Devote but the race momentum was soon halted by Williams's Nico Hulkenberg crashing into the barriers in the tunnel, ending the German's race and prompting the deployment of the safety car until lap six.
Hulk smash brings out safety car
That was the first of four times the safety car was required - Rubens Barrichello crashing out in lap 31, a suspected loose drain cover on lap 44 and a collision between Jarno Trulli's Lotus and Karun Chandhok's Hispania in lap 74 which eliminated both at La Rascasse being the others - but each time Webber picked up where he had left off. Vettel seized second place from Kubica before the first corner and although the Pole challenged hard Red Bull's one-two was secure. "I wasn't able to keep up with Mark, there was a big difference," said Vettel. "By the time I got my grip sorted he was too far in front. "It's very difficult to overtake here in the end so I decided there was no point chasing and I spent a lot of time looking in my mirrors." Kubica was only just pipped to pole by Webber after the Polish driver had put in a superb display in qualifying but despite his best efforts was unable to pass Vettel decisively. "Normally I would defend the position but I saw Mark pulled away quite slow," explained Kubica. "However, I went on the power too early, I got a lot of wheelspin and it was too late to close the door to Sebastian.
Monaco GP - Top three drivers
"We have to be positive. Nobody expected us to finish on the podium. We have been challenging all weekend and the teams should be really happy." Massa has endured a difficult season so far, playing second fiddle to Alonso, but the Brazilian kept in touch with Kubica to finish ahead of 2008 Monaco winner Hamilton. The McLaren driver came into the pits early on lap 17 to cover Alonso's rapid progress andhe held onto fifth comfortably through the race. "I got quite a good start and I was challenging for third at turn one," said Hamilton. "But it was impossible as those guys are quite aggressive and it is virtually impossible to overtake here especially when the guys are as quick as you. "So I decided to concentrate on getting the car home and getting the points in the bag, it's a bit of a shame that I am 18 points behind as that's how many I lost last week." Webber's display, though, outshone all as he claimed his fourth career victory. And he is now the second Australian after Jack Brabham to win at the iconic Monaco circuit.
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