Webber wins again

He was in a league of his own as he converted a stunning pole position performance into a start-to-finish romp for Red Bull - and an equal lead in the 2010 world championship battle.  The closest anyone got to Webber was on the starting grid, although his margin at the front was erased three times by the Safety Car and he had to pull away again from his Red Bull team mate Sebastian Vettel.

Webber survived a final scare when Jarno Trulli and Karun Chandhok collided just three laps from the finish, but he was able to blast to the chequered flag when the safety car was withdrawn to clear his run to the line.  Vettel was second for Red Bull, beating Robert Kubica of Renault after jumping him at the start, with Felipe Massa in fourth for Ferrari.

Webber blazed to victory after a string of fastest laps that left four world champions - Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button and Michael Schumacher - with no answer to his speed and commitment.  "Unbelievable. Brilliant. A 1-2 at Monaco . . . maximum points at two races," Webber said on his cool-down lap.

The win was a repeat of his all-the-way romp a week earlier in the Spanish Grand Prix, and the 25 points he clocked for the victory moved him equal with Vettel at the top of the world championship standings.

The surprise star of the race was Felipe Massa, who was forced to start from the pitlane after crashing his Ferrari in practice and missing qualifying. He got all the way up to seventh place, although a late pass by Michael Schumacher - which cost him a spot - was being investigated by race officials.

Jenson Button lost his world championship lead after engine failure in his McLaren and there were predictable retirements at the back of the field by the new Hispania and Virgin teams, as well as both Saubers with gearbox hydraulic failures.

Webber's victory completed an Australian sweep at Monaco, as Red Bull's reserve driver Daniel Ricciardo won the Renault 3.5 series curtain-raiser. The 20-year-old from Perth also sat on pole position and his first victory in the junior series bumps him up to second in the championship standings.

PROVISIONAL PLACINGS:

Monaco Grand Prix

1. Mark Webber, Red Bull
2. Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull
3. Robert Kubica, Renault
4. Felipe Massa, Ferrari
5. Lewis Hamilton, McLaren
6. Michael Schumacher, Mercedes
7. Fernando Alonso, Ferrari
8. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes
9. Adrian Sutil, Force India
10. Tonio Liuzzi, Force India

PROVISIONAL POINTSCORE:

1. Mark Webber/Sebastian Vettel, 87
3. Fernando Alonso, 73
4. Jenson Button, 70
5. Felipe Massa, 61