Mark Webber kicked off the longest day in auto racing on Sunday winning the Monaco Grand Prix from the pole, holding off a gaggle of cars over the race's final 10 laps to win his second race at the famed street circuit.
The Australian qualified second but started first because of a five-place grid penalty for pole winner Michael Schumacher thanks to an incident two weeks ago in Barcelona. The threat of heavy rain meant a myriad of strategies for the field, but once pit stops cycled through about two-thirds of the way through the race, Webber found himself in the lead once again.
Nico Rosberg got to Webber's back bumper during the closing laps of the race but was never able to get in a position to attempt to overtake the race leader. Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, who finished third, grabbed the points lead.
Webber became the sixth different winner in six F1 races this season. And is his win a good omen for the Australians on the front row in Indianapolis and Charlotte? Ryan Briscoe is on the pole for the Indianapolis 500 and Marcos Ambrose starts Sunday night's Coca-Cola 600 second.
Vittorio Brambilla Toni Branca Gianfranco Brancatelli Eric Brandon
