F1 Race Monaco

It's showtime. The spectacle of Monaco is the jewel in the crown of F1, the cars are nearer to the crowd, the speeds around this iconic street circuit are immense, the walls are ever close and the tunnel is still as dark and scary.

Martin took us around Mark Webber's pole lap which not only confirmed how great a lap it was but what a lap around Monaco is about. The bumps, barriers and turns of Monaco are around normal roads and we all know what "normal roads" are in the UK.

The talk is now over and it's time to race with a track temperature of 40 and air temperature of 22. As many of the drivers live in Monaco for them it is like a home grand prix which gives them added incentive.

The sound of the cars going around the principality onto the grid is deafening on TV but when you are there ear plugs are an absolute must. As usual the narrow Monaco grid is packed with team mechanics, paparazzi, reporters and many celebrities as the Monaco grid is the place to be seen.

The tyre covers come off as the teams move back to the pit lane as all the cars move off for the siting lap except Fernando who is starting from the pit lane after his appointment with the barrier wrecking his chassis before qualifying.

As the flag dropped 20,000 hp launched into the first corner as Sebastian (V) launched past Robert into Saint Devote making it a Red Bull one, two. All went well until the dreaded tunnel and Nico (H) hit the wall coming out of it making a mess of his car and bringing out the safety car. During the safety car period some of the cars on the soft tyres (they have to use both tyre compounds through the race) including Fernando changed to the prime tyres.

Then out of the blue Jenson stopped with what appeared to be a cooked engine and the second retirement on only lap one. It appeared a bung was left in one of the engine intakes going to the grid cooking the engine. All the rest followed the unbelievable Mercedes safety car whilst the debris from Nico's Williams was cleared out of the way.

Keeping all the temperatures under control is very difficult for the drivers and they would all be relieved when the safety car came in on lap six and back to racing. Mark launched his self away followed by Sebastian, Robert, Felipe and Lewis and then a small gap back to Rubens who was struggling on the first lap after the safety car.

It was exciting watching the mighty Fernando trying to get past Lucas and after a lot of gesticulating he passed him into the chicane after the tunnel and then quickly disposed of Jarno. The top five, with Mark moving away from the next four were leaving the rest behind but the interest will come if the tyres start to grain.

The cars in front of Fernando were getting a whole bag of TV coverage as the cameras were watching his surge from the back of the field and it was a feature of the early stage of the race. Mark seems to have Monaco under control and he was lapping in the mid 1.17's at a meteoric rate and on lap 17 he was some 5 seconds ahead of Sebastian.

Lewis was the first of the top runners to change to the prime tyres and he came out in front of Fernando and behind Jaime and this will be interesting to watch accepting Fernando has already changed his tyres. Then came a host of tyre stops on lap eighteen for all of the top teams and race on as we wait for the positions to settle down.

So after the tyre stops the positions were Mark, Sebastian, Robert, Felipe, Lewis and Fernando but after Nico's tyre stop it dropped him behind Michael into eighth. Rubens finished up with two wheels on my wagon as he hit the wall in Massenet with what looked like a mechanical failure to bring out the safety car for the second time.

All Mark's good work out in front was negated and he has now to be do it all over again as the team bunches up behind the Mercedes safety car. What seemed a quite rapid removal of Rubens' Lotus Mark was biting at the bit behind the safety car and Mark launched again at the front and he looks remarkably under control and in the groove.

Lewis seems to have stalled Fernando's meteoric move through the field but still not really putting pressure on Felipe in front of him. Nico was falling away from Michael in the hands of the Force India's whilst up at the front Mark was now already 2.5 seconds ahead of Sebastian after only three laps after the safety car withdrawal on lap forty one.

Mclaren are asking Lewis to be patient and look after his car and he received the information with comments better not repeated. Then out came the safety car for the third time as it was announced a drain cover had come loose and that of course is extremely dangerous and a most unusual occurrence. It appeared to be false alarm and the safety cover was deemed OK.

Poor old Mark had to do it again for the third time and he must be thinking what do I have to do to win this thing. So in came the safety car and off went Mark again with the rest line astern with no problems.

The safety cars of course reduce the problem of the leaders having to overtake the back markers which at Monaco can always cause problems for the faster cars. The top ten were covered by only nine seconds with 30 laps to go which shows how close the front runners are.

One of the features of Monaco is the speed the rubber goes down on the circuit and coupled with burning off the fuel the speeds get quicker as the times are now in the 1.16's. Fernando has had the tyres on his Ferrari since in effect lap one and yet they are still performing well albeit they will not be as good as those who have changed tyres and he is dropping away from Lewis.

Michael is driving a steady race in seventh but just can't get near enough to Fernando to make a pass. Nico (R) is dropping back from Michael and now some 2.5 seconds behind on lap 57. The last couple of races have seen Michael jump ahead of Nico for the first time this season and one wonders whether Michael is getting back to form.

Mark is driving supremely as he has done all weekend seeming to bas one with the Red Bull. Out in front he is now in the 1.15's and his drive around the Monaco streets is not matched by the rest. Robert is keeping Sebastian honest but the top 6 are spread evenly and not really fighting each other.

On lap 61 they started to come into the back markers and one hopes they all get through without incident. Sebastian and Robert got a little held up which put Robert nearer to Sebastian but enabling Mark to leap to six seconds ahead at the front on lap 64. Lewis has dropped a long way behind Felipe which we can only assume is caused by traffic.

Mark has now started to protect his car with ten to go but Sebastian has Robert pushing him so the gap came down slightly but all under control really. The tyres are all holding up well and there won't be any stops now being so close to the end.

Then Karun and Jarno had a big accident as Jarno tried to go inside Karun into La Rascasse, the wheels locked and over the top of Karun went Jarno. That brought the safety car out again in the safe hands of Bert Mylander for the fourth time and the race was destined to finish under the safety car and so it was to be.

However, you can always rely on Michael to be involved in Monaco controversy and particularly at La Rascasse, and in 2010 he didn't disappoint. I must explain the rule behind the safety car is different this year as once it leaves the circuit the drivers go across a line after which they can pass, they do not have to wait until crossing the finishing line.

They started the last lap and as the safety car peeled off into the pits after La Rascasse, Michael stuffed his Mercedes alongside Fernando and took sixth away from him going into Anthony Noades. Not often that the safety car can cause so much excitement and trust Michael to be aware of every trick in the book albeit a great move.

So after the final bit of excitement the race finished and Mark took the chequered flag followed by Sebastian (another 1,2 for Red Bull), Robert, Felipe, Lewis, Michael, Fernando, Nico, Adrian and Vitantonio making the top 10. There were nine retirements through the race including Karun and Jarno who completed seventy laps and there were only 12 cars running at the flag.

Mark's prize was to be presented with his trophy by Prince Albert in a somewhat different ceremony to the usual podium and as we left Monaco the championship has taken a new turn with a Red Bull one, two.

Mark & Sebastian leave with 78 points and take over the championship lead followed by Fernando (73), Jenson (70), Felipe & Robert (59), Lewis (57), Nico (54), Michael (22), Adrian (18), Vitantonio (9), Vitaly & Rubens (7), Jaime (2) and finally Nico H (1).

In the team championship Red Bull take over the lead with 156 points followed by Ferrari (132), Mclaren (127), Mercedes (76), Renault (66), Force India (27), Williams (8) and Toro Rosso (2).

After the thrills, spills and spectacle of Monaco the circus moves to Turkey for the next race 30th June and the question has to be asked who is going to stunt Red Bull's charge. They certainly have the quickest car even though not the most reliable. The stunning pace of Mark in qualifying and his pace in the race suggests someone has to do something special.

I look forward to talking to you again in Turkey.