Mark Webber (Red Bull) became the sixth different driver to win a race in 2012 by beating Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) and Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) to the finish of the Monaco Grand Prix.
Webber actually led to the checkered flag a very bunched up train of cars that included, as well as the top three drivers, Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull), Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) and Felipe Massa (Ferrari).
The drama at the start didn’t come from the very front, where Webber got off cleanly, holding off Rosberg. It was a little further down the order that second row-starter Romain Grosjean clipped the Mercedes of Michael Schumacher.
The German, who started sixth because of his five-place grid penalty drop, was going around the outside of the Frenchman, but was squeezed against the barrier in the approach to Corner 1, about mid-way through the manoeuvre.
The incident ended Grosjean’s race. Schumacher on the other hand was able to continue in seventh, but only until fuel pressure problems forced him to retire.
Rain started coming down near the end of the race, and costed Jean-Éric Vergne (Toro Rosso) a finish in the points. As the drizzle started, he dove into the pits for intermediates – which proved to be a bad move since the rain soon stopped. He ended up 12th.
The Force India cars of Paul di Resta and Nico Hulkenberg, the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen and the Williams of Bruno Senna instead racked up the last points.
Sergio Perez missed out on the top 10, but still clocked the fastest lap of the race.
Jenson Button (McLaren) had a miserable afternoon. Having started perhaps a little further than he would have hoped, in 12th, he was caught in the first lap tangle and then spent the rest of the race behind Heikki Kovalainen's Caterham. Eventually he spun and retired.
Other retirements included Barcelona-winner Pastor Maldonado (Williams), who started dead last because of two grid penalties, and back marker Pedro de la Rosa (HRT). Maldonado hit de la Rosa coming in the very first turn.
The results now have the two Red Bull drivers tied for second place in the standings, and Alonso leading the order.
Race results – Monaco Grand Prix (Round 6)
From ItaliaRacing.net
1 - Mark Webber (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 78 laps in 1h46min06.557s
2 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes MGP W03) - 0.643s
3 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F2012) - 0.947s
4 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 1.343s
5 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) - 4.101s
6 - Felipe Massa (Ferrari F2012) - 6.195s
7 - Paul Di Resta (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) - 41.537s
8 - Nico Hulkenberg (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) - 42.562s
9 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus E20-Renault) - 44.036s
10 - Bruno Senna (Williams FW34-Renault) - 44.5s
11 - Sergio Perez (Sauber C31-Ferrari) - 1 lap
12 - Jean Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) - 1 lap
13 - Heikki Kovalainen (Caterham CT01-Renault) - 1 lap
14 - Timo Glock (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) - 1 lap
15 - Narain Karthikeyan (HRT F112-Cosworth) - 2 laps
Fastest lap of the race by Sergio Perez in 1min17.296s
Retirements
Lap 1 - Romain Grosjean
Lap 1 - Pastor Maldonado
Lap 1 - Pedro De La Rosa
Lap 5 - Kamui Kobayashi
Lap 15 - Vitaly Petrov
Lap 63 - Michael Schumacher
Lap 64 - Charles Pic
Lap 65 - Daniel Ricciardo
Lap 70 - Jenson Button
Drivers' championship
1.Alonso 76; 2.Vettel, Webber 73; 4.Hamilton 63; 5.Rosberg 59; 6.Raikkonen 51.
Webber actually led to the checkered flag a very bunched up train of cars that included, as well as the top three drivers, Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull), Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) and Felipe Massa (Ferrari).
The drama at the start didn’t come from the very front, where Webber got off cleanly, holding off Rosberg. It was a little further down the order that second row-starter Romain Grosjean clipped the Mercedes of Michael Schumacher.
The German, who started sixth because of his five-place grid penalty drop, was going around the outside of the Frenchman, but was squeezed against the barrier in the approach to Corner 1, about mid-way through the manoeuvre.
The incident ended Grosjean’s race. Schumacher on the other hand was able to continue in seventh, but only until fuel pressure problems forced him to retire.
Rain started coming down near the end of the race, and costed Jean-Éric Vergne (Toro Rosso) a finish in the points. As the drizzle started, he dove into the pits for intermediates – which proved to be a bad move since the rain soon stopped. He ended up 12th.
The Force India cars of Paul di Resta and Nico Hulkenberg, the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen and the Williams of Bruno Senna instead racked up the last points.
Sergio Perez missed out on the top 10, but still clocked the fastest lap of the race.
Jenson Button (McLaren) had a miserable afternoon. Having started perhaps a little further than he would have hoped, in 12th, he was caught in the first lap tangle and then spent the rest of the race behind Heikki Kovalainen's Caterham. Eventually he spun and retired.
Other retirements included Barcelona-winner Pastor Maldonado (Williams), who started dead last because of two grid penalties, and back marker Pedro de la Rosa (HRT). Maldonado hit de la Rosa coming in the very first turn.
The results now have the two Red Bull drivers tied for second place in the standings, and Alonso leading the order.
Race results – Monaco Grand Prix (Round 6)
From ItaliaRacing.net
1 - Mark Webber (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 78 laps in 1h46min06.557s
2 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes MGP W03) - 0.643s
3 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F2012) - 0.947s
4 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 1.343s
5 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) - 4.101s
6 - Felipe Massa (Ferrari F2012) - 6.195s
7 - Paul Di Resta (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) - 41.537s
8 - Nico Hulkenberg (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) - 42.562s
9 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus E20-Renault) - 44.036s
10 - Bruno Senna (Williams FW34-Renault) - 44.5s
11 - Sergio Perez (Sauber C31-Ferrari) - 1 lap
12 - Jean Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) - 1 lap
13 - Heikki Kovalainen (Caterham CT01-Renault) - 1 lap
14 - Timo Glock (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) - 1 lap
15 - Narain Karthikeyan (HRT F112-Cosworth) - 2 laps
Fastest lap of the race by Sergio Perez in 1min17.296s
Retirements
Lap 1 - Romain Grosjean
Lap 1 - Pastor Maldonado
Lap 1 - Pedro De La Rosa
Lap 5 - Kamui Kobayashi
Lap 15 - Vitaly Petrov
Lap 63 - Michael Schumacher
Lap 64 - Charles Pic
Lap 65 - Daniel Ricciardo
Lap 70 - Jenson Button
Drivers' championship
1.Alonso 76; 2.Vettel, Webber 73; 4.Hamilton 63; 5.Rosberg 59; 6.Raikkonen 51.