Thursday, 29th May 2008

Mixed weather in Monte Carlo leads to mixed results throughout World Series field.

Fabio Carbone was among the drivers to see his hopes of Monaco success washed away by the rains that hit the Principality before Sunday's Formula One grand prix, but others - including Britain's James Walker - managed to come through the worst of the weather to add to their early season accounts.

Carbone finished 12th after a typically chaotic race, but had impressed earlier in the weekend by occupying provisional pole position for much of Saturday's qualifying session. However, he lost the advantage of starting on the front row after being caught out by a drying track and dropping down the order.

When it came to race day, however, it was wet weather that would catch the 27-year old out.

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Carbone started from 13th on the grid - a position from which he naturally hoped to improve - but he was denied the chance to make up early places because the persistent rain caused the race to get underway behind the safety car, meaning that the drivers did not get the chance to overtake into Ste Devote - or, indeed, until much later in the race.

The weather, however, continued to have a major say in the way the race panned out, as a series of incidents and accidents meant that neutralisations were a common feature, and allowing only one overtaking manoeuvre within the entire top ten.

Carbone was one of many to have a small off near the Swimming Pool, but still managed to struggle home in twelfth as the race ended just as it had started - under yellow flags and at its 44-minute time limit - as marshals struggled to clear up a number of crashed cars.

“This whole weekend was an opportunity missed for us really,” the Brazilian admitted afterwards, “We were in a very strong position to qualify on pole during Saturday and, in Monaco especially, that is most of the way to securing the victory, as today's race once again proved.

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