MARK MASTERS MONACO FOR A RED BULL HAT-TRICK

The Monaco Grand Prix today added to the spectacle that is the 2012 Formula 1 season. With Mark Webber's fantastic, historical win we now have six different winners in the first six races of the season; the first time this has ever happened in F1... I don't know how many times the unpredictability of this season can be underlined but there is just no other way to put it.

Red Bull have now won this race for the third year in succession with their 'number 2' driver Mark Webber. Despite many of the questions asked about Red Bull's performance, all unnecessary if you ask me, the team definitely delivered today. In what was one of the most exciting race ends I think I have ever seen Webber kept his cool and handled the pressure that the four cars behind him were piling on. Rosberg, Alonso, Vettel and Hamilton all went for a late charge in the hope of gaining places, perhaps in vain at this circuit. The cars were becoming much closer and literally anything could have happened in this closing stage. One tiny mistake would have changed things dramatically. Webber's teammate Vettel did well to even be involved in this battle for the win/podium. After starting the race in 9th position on the harder of the two tyre compounds Vettel proved his strategy was the best one he could have chosen. He managed his tyres incredibly well to maintain the lead of the Grand Prix for a number of laps after the drivers ahead of him went in for their pit-stops. Building a solid gap during this stage of the race benefited him as he came out in fourth after his turn in the pits. We saw just how hard overtaking in Monaco is as Vettel just couldn't pass Alonso no matter how close he came. Fourth was therefore the position he finished in but he did climb 5 places to get there; no mean feat in Monte Carlo. These results also mean that the two Red Bull drivers are now drawn on points in the drivers' Championship; they sit 2nd and 3rd behind, would you believe it?, a Ferrari.

The Ferrari of Fernando Alonso, that is, who took the final spot on the podium. He gained a couple of places from where he started the race and held his position well throughout. He even faced a challenge from teammate Massa but kept that third place during the race. Considering the position Ferrari were in just a few races ago it is astonishing to think that their driver is number 1 in the championship standings. They either made huge progress with the updates they brought to Mugello or have a driver who is capable of consistently outperforming his car. That being said, Felipe Massa had a great drive in Monaco today and, unlike in previous races, wasn't that far behind his Ferrari colleague. He finished 6th and, although I'm sure the pressure on him won't reduce by much, was able to silence a few of his critics, for a couple of weeks anyway. Felipe is definitely one of the drivers on the grid who must fight this season to keep a seat for 2013 but today he can relax in the knowledge that he picked up a good handful of points in Monaco to end what has been a more than satisfactory weekend for the Brazilian.

Someone who can't share this emotion would have to be Jenson Button. Yet another DNF for the Brit means another batch of points he misses out on and his championship winning dreams are fading fast. In a season as tight as this one a driver can't afford to lose valuable points and Button seems to be doing this on a rather regular basis in comparison to his rivals. And if you still needed further evidence that this year's F1 season is becoming increasingly unpredictable the sight of a McLaren car stuck behind a Caterham should have put your doubts to rest. The Caterham of Heikki Kovaleinen was responsible for frustrating Button and and when he did try to make a move on the so-called backmarker he spun and effectively ended his race.

McLaren's other driver Lewis Hamilton finished fifth in Monaco; two places lower than where he started. A poor start compared to those around him saw him stuck behind the Ferrari duo for the first stage of the race and then he lost out to Sebastian Vettel's alternative tyre strategy when the German emerged from the pit lane ahead of him. He did have a late attempt at making a move on Vettel in that stunning battle in the last few laps of the race but he, like the drivers in front of him, couldn't manage to move forward. Speaking to the BBC's Lee McKenzie after the race the disappointment on Hamilton's face was clear. A fifth position is hard for a driver still trying to win his first race of the season but it is increasingly harder when the two drivers ahead of you started behind you on the grid. However, Hamilton's title hopes are still alive; he is 10 points behind Vettel and Webber and 13 behind the leader Alonso.

Yesterday was definitely Michael Schumacher's day as the veteran German driver was fastest of all during Qualifying. Following his correct prediction of him getting pole position, Michael still thought he was in with a chance of winning the race but, sadly, it was another retirement for Schumacher. He was experiencing problems during the middle section of the race but his concerns started much earlier. He collided with the Lotus of Romain Grosjean at the start of the race and it is possible that he sustained damage here that affected his later on. He started losing places rather quickly and was forced to allow cars to pass him because he was simply unable to hold them off. His teammate Nico Rosberg finished on the podium in Monaco; in 2nd place. This means Rosberg has a 57 point lead over his experienced fellow Mercedes driver. As I stated in my Qualifying review, it is all very well to pull out strong Saturday performances but if he continues to follow them up with poor races, the criticism on Schumacher's comeback will continue. 2 points from 6 races is simply not good enough for a team trying to challenge for race wins.

Other drivers in the points were the Force India pair who made up for a poor Qualifying. They finished 7th and 8th with Paul Di Resta finishing a place higher than his teammate who out-qualified him yesterday. Bruno Senna was the last man in the points after Kimi Raikkonen who was 9th. Both Raikkonen and Senna's teammates had to retire from the race; Lotus' Grosjean at the start and Williams' Maldonado slightly later on. Following his race win in Spain Maldonado will be bitterly disappointed to not even finish in Monaco. He must now mature as a racing driver if he is to keep on impressing those watching and working in Formula 1.

To conclude, the Monaco Grand Prix was yet another great one and we F1 fans are certainly being spoiled this year. We have close and exciting racing in abundance and it's lucky I'm not a betting person as there is just no knowing what can or will happen. Red Bull wrap up their third Monaco victory and Mark Webber's second. The Red Bull lead at the top of the Constructors' championship is still increasing with both of their drivers gaining a strong points finish. However, the Drivers' championship tells a completely different story... It is tighter than ever at the top with 3 drivers being separated by 3 points. And I'm sure we'll see more change in those standings after the next race; the Canadian Grand Prix.

Aqsa

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