Mark Webber dominated the historical Grand Prix de Monaco and returned strong as ever in the championship challenge. His team-mate Sebastian Vettel and Robert Kubica completed a Renault-powered podium. RedBull Racing demonstrated in the narrow streets of Monaco that is the strongest contender for the Constructor's Championship.It was the first time an Australian had won in the Principality since Sir Jack Brabham did so for Cooper in 1959, and puts Webber into the lead of the world championship, equal with Vettel on 78 points.
Starting the race from the pole-position after performing an awesome qualifying time breaking Michael Schumacher's lap record, Webber was once more faultless, leading comfortably the race from start to finish. Webber princely pace was only slowed down by the safety car that emerged in the track due to the 4 caution sessions.
The race revolved around tyre strategy due to the caution sessions that emerged the safety car on track.
The first caution came on the opening lap when Nico Hulkenberg understeered into the wall at nearly 150 mph in the tunnel. Before the accident he had damage to his front wing and that likely resulted in him losing control. The second caution period was caused by another big shunt involving a Williams, this time the rear suspension of Rubens Barrichello's car appeared to fail as he went up the hill to Massenet turn.
The final period was a result of the most spectacular crash of the Grand Prix. Jarno Trulli misjudged a move on Karun Chandhok at La Rascasse and his Lotus mounted the rear of the HRT after touching wheels. Chandhok instinctively moved his hands up to protect his head but the car's roll-hoop did its job and both drivers came away unharmed. The accident happened within seven laps before the end of the race and the resulting safety car signaled both the end of the caution session and the race at the same time that found Webber leading his team-mate by just 0.4 seconds over the line. Robert Kubica rounded of a successful Grand Prix to finish third, although Vettel managed to overtake him in the first corner of the opening lap.
Fourth was Felipe Massa with Lewis Hamilton fifth in rather calm and quiet race.
However, memories of 2006 "La Rascaasse" parking scandal has waken up again as Michael Schumacher illegally passed Fernando Alonso for sixth in the same last corner of the circuit while the safety car has been pulled into the pits at the end of the final safety car period that actually denoted the end of the race. Schumacher got better traction out of the race's penultimate corner and bullied his way up the inside of Alonso into the Anthony Noghes bend. According to a 2010 rule, stewards penalised Schumacher with a 20 seconds penalty that dropped him 12th and Alonso repeated 2006 Schumacher's accomplishment of finishing 6th after starting last.
The new rule - 40.13 - states: "If the race ends whilst the safety car is deployed it will enter the pitlane at the end of the last lap and the cars will take the chequered flag as normal without overtaking."
Immediately after the conclusion of the race, Schumacher and Ross Brawn said they were confident there would be no penalty. "We were advised before the end of the race that the safety car was coming in. There was no instruction that the race was going to finish under the safety car."
Schumacher was equally certain he had done nothing wrong. "I think there is either this message, or there is the message 'track clear' and 'safety car in' and that was the message that was given to all of us and when this message is out it means track clear and back to racing. The cars were removed. I took my opportunity."
Alonso disagreed with Schumacher's assessment. "The race was very good and in the end I still have a good feeling. The team told me we couldn't overtake so when I saw Michael … they will penalise him, so we will end up winning anyway."
One of the stewards was Damon Hill who had more than a few run-ins with Schumacher when they raced against each other. But Schumacher smiled when asked if that might be an issue.
"It will be interesting. He is a good guy so I'm sure he will understand the situation and it's normal that the other team has a different opinion but we have to see. Maybe we missed something that we are not aware of." Clearly they had.
Nico Rosberg had the perfect view of the incident from eighth place but held back from trying to follow his team-mate through. The Force Indias of Adrian Sutil and Tonio Liuzzi took the final two points paying positions in ninth and tenth.
