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Mark Webber won the Monaco Grand Prix in a flawless performance around one of the most special places to drive a car anywhere in the world – the streets of Monte Carlo.
The only other races that attract so much attention are the Indianapolis 500 and the Le Mans 24 hour race.
Webber set up his victory in the stunning street circuit of Monaco with a storming pole position on Saturday, becoming the first Australian to be on pole at Monaco since 1967.
Webber calmly executed the win despite a number of safety car incidents making life difficult, caused by car failures and a spectacular crash between Jarno Trulli and Karun Chandhok in the last few laps right in front of the Australian.
Once upon a time, Webber’s legendary bad luck would have had him unable to avoid the crash – but he managed to sneak past, keep out of trouble, and carry on for the win.
Webber was ecstatic after the race: “Absolutely incredible, for sure this is the greatest day of my life today,” Webber said immediately after crossing the finish line.
Webber’s Red Bull Racing teammate Sebastian Vettel finished in second after taking Robert Kubica at the first corner and holding off the charging Polish driver. Kubica rounded out the podium for the revived Renault team.
Yet Webber’s win wasn’t the only victory at Monaco today for the Aussies. Young Red Bull reserve driver and Australian Daniel Ricciardo qualified on pole in the World Series of Renault (WSR) Formula 3.5 and won from pole position in similarly emphatic fashion. Ricciardo never looked in doubt from the start of his race, running in a class of one.
Some of the best entertainment all weekend came from WSR with overtaking by New Zealander and teammate of Ricciardo, Brendon Hartley. The young driver was on the limit between brave and foolhardy around Monaco, damaging the nose of his car as he finished 4th from 8th on the grid.
Both Webber and Ricciardo now lead their respective championships in a huge day for Australians in open wheelers, as the Australian anthem became familiar to Principality locals. Interestingly, Webber leads only on race wins, as his teammate Vettel now has the same number of points – an intriguing development between the ultra competitive teammates.
Still, regardless of the final outcome of the season, a win at a track that demands so much from the drivers is the one that everyone wants, despite it being a real one off track. Monaco does not ruin a drivers reputation – it makes them. Jarno Trulli has only ever won one race, yet he isn’t regarded as a failure as he won at Monaco.
Webber’s win was the first for an Aussie in 51 years after Sir Jack Brabham won in 1959. That win was the highlight of Sir Jack’s career and Webber was humbled and honoured about following such a legend of the sport, and other legends such as Ayrton Senna, Jackie Stewart, Sir Stirling Moss and many more.
Webber’s maximum result from the last two races puts him on a strong charge heading to the next race in Turkey. Dan Ricciardo, on the other hand, will be seeking to continue to impress, and will be pushing very hard to take a Formula 1 drivers seat next year.
This is absolutely historic for Australian motorsports. When you consider Casey Stoner is consistently challenging in MotoGP and in IndyCar Will Power is leading the championship with Ryan Briscoe also performing well in the series, it is truly a golden age for Aussie drivers.