Copybook performance from Mark Webber to head a Red Bull 1-2 and a Renault engine 1-2-3.
Race was punctuated by a number of incidents requiring the use of the safety car - including a nasty looking incident with Trulli going over the top of Chandok - thankfully both drivers ok.
Safety car pulled in on last lap leaving the final racing corner left - where Michael Schumacher pulled off an opportunistic move to overtake Alonso who got a little sideways - the stewards were investigating the legitmacy of the move at the end of the race.
Apparently if the race ends with safety car deployed - overtaking is not allowed on the run to the flag....yet Mercedes' contention was that the stewards informed the teams before the end of the race that race was not to be ended behind the safety car....anyway for Michael to get into a little controversy at Monaco is nothing new...it actually looked an TV as a cheeky well judged move...
Mark Webber (1st)“It’s a special day, the greatest day of my life I suppose. As a Formula One driver you really hope that you win races and if you have a choice then the blue riband event is very, very special for any driver. To join Ayrton Senna and the likes round here is a very special thing. The last few laps are intense. Jenson actually said to me on the parade lap that when you’re leading with a few laps to go, it looks like the track’s narrowing and the barriers are coming closer and closer. Fifteen laps from the end, that’s just what it was like. A one-two finish for the team here is such a feather in their cap, it’s incredible. The safety cars weren’t a great situation to have - you do all the hard work, get away and risk some pretty quick lap times to increase the gap and then you have a safety car which neutralises it and all the fast guys are back on your wheel again. It’s very difficult when it’s like that, but that’s part of the driver’s role - to stay composed and get the job done. To get 50 points from the last two races is awesome, but there is a long, long way still to go. We’ve got so many different conditions and tracks coming up - there are many exciting times to come; I’m looking forward to it.”
Sebastian Vettel (2nd)“I’m happy. I think we achieved our optimum from third on the grid - normally it’s hard to pass anyone, so second is good. I had good acceleration at the start and was able to dive down the inside and get into the first corner ahead of Robert. That was crucial to finishing second. I couldn’t keep up with Mark today and we need to see why that was. It was difficult, especially at the beginning and after all the restarts. Later on I finally felt I had more grip and wasn’t too far off Mark’s pace, but by then he was already down the road. There was no point trying to catch him, as overtaking is so difficult here. I also had to look more in my mirrors today. Robert was pushing quite hard and it was quite difficult to get away from him at the restarts. I was going sideways rather than straight at times. But, I’m happy. I think we couldn’t have done better today - and we take away good points, which counts for a lot.”
Christian Horner, Red Bull team principal“A tremendous result for the team today - I think Mark Webber’s had the week of his life. To win two Grands Prixs in a row including the Monaco Grand Prix, which is probably the most prestigious on the calendar, is a very proud day for the whole of Red Bull Racing. And we didn’t only win Monaco, but finished first and second so it’s a great day for the team. It puts us first and second in the drivers’ championship and first in the constructors’ championship. It’s a great result and testimony to all the work that goes on behind the scenes, which goes to make results like today’s possible. Congratulations also to Renault on their one-two-three finish.”
Fabrice Lom, Renault’s principal track support engineer to Red Bull“A perfect day and it happened in Monaco, so it’s even more enjoyable. We got a one-two for Red Bull and a one-two-three for Renault, so we are ecstatic within the engine team. We are so proud to be part of Red Bull Racing, which is really excellent and so proud to be part of Renault Sport, which gave us a really good engine for this track with excellent tuning. So, one-two-three, we cannot expect more. We are also now in a very good position for both championships - it really is a perfect day.”1. Webber Red Bull-Renault2. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 3. Kubica Renault 4. Massa Ferrari 5. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 6. Schumacher Mercedes 7. Alonso Ferrari 8. Rosberg Mercedes 9. Sutil Force India-Mercedes 10. Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes 11. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari12 Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari Retired: Button McLaren-Mercedes Barrichello Williams-CosworthHulkenberg Williams-Cosworth de la Rosa Sauber-FerrariKobayashi Sauber-Ferrari Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth Glock Virgin-Cosworth di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth Senna HRT-Cosworth Chandhok HRT-Cosworth Trulli Lotus-CosworthPetrov Renault
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