Formula One: Down to the Wire - Tight Curves and Burnt Rubber

Formula One: Down to the Wire - Tight Curves and Burnt Rubber

The Monaco Grand Prix is the one race of the year that every driver dreams of winning. Like the Indy 500 or Le Mans, it stands alone, almost distinct from the sport from which it was born. A combination of precision driving, technical excellence, and sheer bravery is required to win in Monte Carlo, facets which highlight the differences between the great and the good in Formula One.

Fernando Alonso captured this year's Grand Prix of Monaco. The No. 1 Renault crossed the finish line 14.5 seconds ahead of McLaren's Juan Montoya. The victory was Alonso's fourth of the season and 12th of his Formula One career. Fernando Alonso, who was given the pole when it was determined that Michael Schumacher deliberately stopped on the circuit during the qualifying session, quickly jumped out to a lead in the 78-lap Grand Prix of Monaco.

Alonso won a thrilling race in Monaco. He made it look easy, but had Raikkonen and Webber not fallen out of the running, there surely would have been a fight until the end. Montoya settled for second -- finishing nearly 15 seconds behind Alonso. Coulthard finish 3rd. Barrichello ended up 4th. Michael Schumacher was especially impressive making his way from the pit-lane to a 5th place finish.

With this effort, Alonso raised his point total for the season to 64, a healthy 21-point lead over rival Michael Schumacher. The remainder of the season looks like this:

11 June	Britain	Silverstone
25 June	Canada	Montreal
2 July	United States	Indianapolis
16 July	France	Magny-Cours
30 July	Germany	Hockenheim
6 August	Hungary	Hungaroring
27 August	Turkey	Istanbul
10 September	Italy	Monza
1 October	Japan	Suzuka
8 October	China	Shanghai
22 October	Brazil	Interlagos