Schumi is ‘king’ of Monaco

Alan Baldwin

Monte carlo, May 27: World champion Michael Schumacher steered Ferrari to a flawless one-two finish on Sunday for his fifth win in Monaco as Formula One rivals McLaren endured a nightmare afternoon.

Brazilian Rubens Barrichello was second with Briton Eddie Irvine, who helped Ferrari take their first ever one-two in Monte Carlo behind Schumacher in 1999, giving Jaguar their first points of the season in third - their first ever podium finish.

Schumacher’s victory left the German triple champion 12 points clear of Briton David Coulthard in the title race after seven of the season’s 17 grands prix.

Coulthard, who had secured pole position, was dealt a cruel blow when his McLaren stalled on the warm-up lap for the second time in three races and he had to start from the back.

He was held up for half the race by Brazilian Enrique Bernoldi before the Arrows driver made a pitstop, and then roared his way back through the field in a damage limitation exercise that brought him two precious points for fifth.
While the Scot fumed at the rear, Schumacher was gifted a clear road from the Front row and controlled the entire race on a twisty street circuit that is notoriously difficult to overtake on.

It was his 48th career win, three short of the all-time record of 51 held by Frenchman Alain Prost, and he equalled the five Monte Carlo wins of the late champion Graham Hill.

Brazilian Ayrton Senna won the most glamorous race on the calendar six Times in all, five of them in a row.

Canadian former champion Jacques Villeneuve was fourth in a BAR, his best result in the Mediterranean principality, with Frenchman Jean Alesi opening Prost’s account for 2001 in sixth.

Coulthard’s team mate Mika Hakkinen, the two times world champion, slotted into second place from the start but had to retire after 16 laps after two unscheduled pitstops. He has also stalled twice on the grid this year.
“It was pulling heavily on the right and it was too risky to continue,” said Hakkinen who has just four points. “The team is checking, it’s a fairly unusual problem.” (Reuters)