RACE REPORT

Juan Pablo Montoya won his first Grand Prix in nearly two years around the streets of Monaco in a race he dominated from the moment pole sitter and early race leader team mate Ralf Schumacher made his first pitstop. From third on the grid he shot past second placed Kimi Raikkonen who made another sluggish start and once Ralf Schumacher pitted Montoya slashed the lap record as he reeled off a series of fastest laps which allowed him to rejoin after his stop in the lead.

Ralf quickly dropped out of the picture, and an error at the Rascasse, which saw him having to reverse away from the barriers, left him to eventually come home in a distant fourth, almost half a minute down on his victorious team mate.

Montoya and the Williams team were not to be denied a much needed victory and the Colombian fended off strong late pressure from a resurgent Raikkonen to claim his second career Grand Prix win. 

Meanwhile Michael Schumacher, starting with a heavier fuel load was unable to make ground at the green light and spent the early stages of the race losing time stuck behind Jarno Trulli's Renault. He hauled himself back into contention with a series of fast laps towards the end of his long first stint, and although he closed up on Montoya and Raikkonen in the race's latter stages he seemed content to settle for the final podium position.

Fernando Alonso came home fourth, pipping Renault team mate Jarno Trulli who had outshone him all weekend, while David Coulthard and Rubens Barrichello claimed the final points positions, having been out of the picture all race.

JEAN TODT

"It was a very close contest. The cars which started from the first four rows of the grid all finished in the points, if not in the same order. This proves that the field is very closely matched and that the top four teams in the Championship have reached a high level of competitiveness and reliability." 

"After the first pit stop, we felt that Michael could have made up the other two places at his second stop, but as the gap grew bigger in the second part of the race, because the car-tyre package was not working at its best, this was not possible. Rubens lost a place at the start and then stayed in the same position, the one which earns the final point on offer, for almost the entire time." 

"Overtaking is only possible here if others make mistakes or through the run of the pit-stops, but in Rubens' case neither of these situations arose. Nevertheless, these seven points are important for the championship. Michael has fallen two points further back from the leader in the Drivers' Championship, while we are three behind the lead team in the Constructors.' This result is further proof that this season is very closely fought. We will have to work very hard in the next few weeks, both on the development of the F2003-GA and, with Bridgestone, on the tyres.' 

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

"To go from fifth on the grid to third on the podium in Monaco is quite good. I could say that I might have been able to finish higher if I had not been stuck behind Trulli in the early stages, but our strategy was to go for a long first stint and that meant having more fuel, which is why I was behind him." 

"During some parts of the race I was not able to push as hard as I wanted as the overall package was not at its best at those times. I enjoyed the chase towards the end of the race and I pushed all the way to the flag, as I could see that the two in front were very close and there was always the chance they might make a mistake. We have seen again this weekend, as I have said before, that the competition is very close this year." 

RUBENS BARRICHELLO

"I don't have much to say at the end of a race which can only be described as disappointing. Any time I was able to push to the maximum, I came up behind traffic and so I never managed to get the best out of the car, which had great potential. It is impossible to overtake on this track and, having lost a place at the start, I was unable to improve my situation." 

ROSS BRAWN

"Our performance in yesterday's qualifying cost us the chance of a better result in this afternoon's race. In the first stint, Michael was stuck behind Trulli and therefore lost precious time compared with the leaders. Our chosen strategy was a good one, the car worked well and the pit stops were carried out in their usual slick way. We did all we could." 

Michael Schumacher 3rd + 1.720 78 laps chassis 229 
Rubens Barrichello 8th + 53.226 78 laps chassis 228