BMW Sauber's
Robert Kubica took the runners-up spot in Monte Carlo on Sunday after getting the better of
Felipe Massa following a race long duel with the
Ferrari man.
Kubica eventually finished less than two seconds up on the Brazilian, but it was enough to give him yet another points' finish - his fifth from six races - and his third podium of the year after taking second in Malaysia and third in Bahrain.
Speaking at the finish the Pole was 'very happy' with the eight points, especially after a difficult wet-dry grand prix.
"We started from the third row and the car was okay, but nothing fantastic. The first few laps I was struggling a lot as we were not expecting so much rain," he explained. "I had the pressure as
Fernando Alonso was trying to overtake me and I was struggling a lot but then once the tyres started working I managed to close the gap to Kimi.
"I was around one-and-a-half seconds quicker but I couldn't overtake him and behind him it was impossible to overtake him. Unfortunately for him, Kimi got a drive-through penalty, so I had a free track. I was lapping a bit quicker than Felipe and when he did the mistake I was leading the race.
"It was really, really difficult though, as the car was sliding everywhere but I think for everybody it was the same, so I was just trying to do as less mistakes as possible. After the first pit stop I was struggling with graining on the rear tyres and Felipe managed to stay ahead of me after his first pit stop.
"He was much heavier even though he was pulling away, then suddenly the tyres started working again and I closed massively the gap to Felipe, in two laps something like five seconds. I was much quicker but again I couldn't overtake.
"I was lucky that [Timo] Glock came out from the pits with grooved tyres and as soon as I saw that he was lapping two seconds quicker I told the team to put grooved tyres on which we did and that's why we overtook Felipe in the pit stops.
"I think it is quite a lot of miracles that I finished the race. It was a very hard race for me and I think second place was the maximum with our performance this weekend. I didn't expect us to have the pace to finish second. I am very happy."
Kubica now lies fourth in the drivers' championship, with 32 points, just six behind Lewis Hamilton, who re-took the lead following his second victory of the season in Monaco.
