Webber triumphs in the streets of Monaco

Mark Webber won Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix ahead of teammate Sebastian Vettel and Renault’s Robert Kubica.

The Australian led from start to finish and a faultless drive meant he is now one of the winners of Formula One’s most coveted event.

Felipe Massa finished fourth for Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton took fifth for McLaren Mercedes.

This result means Webber and Vettel take a joint lead in the drivers’ standings while Red Bull now leads the constructor’s championship.

Let’s have a look at how the race panned out:

The 23 drivers got away clearly as the lights went out.

Mark Webber easily held onto the lead while his teammate Sebastian Vettel leapfrogged Robert Kubica at the start and was up in second place as they arrived at Turn One.

Drama struck as early as this first lap, as Nico Hulkenberg crashed in the tunnel. His stricken Williams came to a halt right at the exit of the tunnel, prompting the Safety Car to be deployed. It took the marshals some laps to push the car down the hill from the tunnel and clean all the debris left on the track.

In the meantime, Jenson Button was forced to pull out of the race at Ste Devote with a smoking McLaren Mercedes.

The Safety Car came in at the end of lap 6. Webber managed the restart well and quickly put some clean air between him and Vettel. The Australian set an impressive pace to build himself a good lead. He was 9.5 second clear of his teammate on lap 20.

Lewis Hamilton was the first to stop, on lap 18, and most part of the field followed suit in the next few laps. Third-placed Kubica pitted on lap 22 while Vettel pitted on lap 23 and Webber on lap 24. Nico Rosberg took advantage of this round of pitstops to climb up to P2 but rejoined in P8 after his stop.

Webber had a 15 seconds lead over Vettel when the Safety Car had to intervene for the 2nd time, after Rubens Barrichello crashed his Williams at Massenet. Replays suggested the Brazilian suffered a rear wheel or tyre problem. The Safety Car released the field on lap 33 and Webber once again started to pull away from Vettel.

The Safety Car was deployed for the third time on lap 43 because of a loose drain cover at Turn 3. It came in at the end of lap 45. There was no change in the order as the race restarted and Webber didn’t wait long to resume his stunning pace at the front. He set a new fastest lap on lap 49. Vettel found some answer to his teammate’s pace but couldn’t prevent him from slowly edging away.

And the German had to keep a close eye on Kubica who came within a second of him with 18 laps to go. He looked in control but encountered a back-marker who slowed him down on lap 62 and allowed Kubica to close in on him again. The Red Bull driver then upped the pace and set his fastest lap of the race on lap 64 to pull slightly away from the Pole.

Comfortably leading, Webber was able to back off slightly and look after his car in the last ten laps while his team-mate found himself under constant pressure from Renault’s Kubica. He managed it well and set the fastest lap time of the race on lap 72.

The Safety Car made a final appearance on lap 74 after Chandhok and Trulli collided at Rascasse. It released the field at the end of the final lap with Webber crossing the finish line ahead of Vettel and Kubica.

Michael Schumacher overtook Alonso for sixth place right at the end - a move which was to be investigated by the stewards after the race. Seventh was still a good result for the Ferrari driver who started the race from the pitlane and strategically pitted under the Safety Car at the end of lap 1.

Only twelve drivers made it to the finish.

* Final results after Michael Schumacher has been handed a 20-second penalty for having overtaken Fernando Alonso on the final corner of the Monaco Grand Prix.