Monaco ’train’ no 2012 thriller - report

Amid the fascinating 2012 season, Monaco was not a statistical thriller.

DRS, the unusually competitive 2012 field and the mystifying Pirelli tyres have so far combined to deliver record overtaking figures at this season’s grands prix so far.

But according to Finland’s Turun Sanomat newspaper, there were only nine passing moves recorded over the 78 laps on Sunday.

The last time fewer than ten overtakes were recorded at a grand prix was Japan 2010, when there were seven.

Last year at Monaco, there were 16 passes.

Of the nine recorded on Sunday, two were when backmarker Charles Pic was passed.

Other significant ones involved Timo Glock, Jean-Eric Vergne and Narain Karthikeyan.

But there was little action at the front, despite the fact the top six runners all crossed the chequered flag within the blink of an eye.

Winner Mark Webber was therefore crowned "the Monaco train driver" by the Portuguese sports daily O Jogo.