MONACO: Michael Schumacher not only won the wet Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon but also took the lead in the Formula One World Drivers Championship for the first time since he joined Ferrari. The Italian team also snatched the lead in the World Constructors Championship from the Castrol-backed Rothmans Williams Renault team, who had a disastrous afternoon.

Schumacher was at his very best and led from start to finish in the wet conditions, while his great rival and former championship leader Jacques Villeneuve fell foul of the rain, which started just before the race began. His Williams team decided, on the advice of the weather forecaster, to fit slick dry weather tyres because they were told the rain would stop. The rain fell throughout the two-hour race, and both Villeneuve and his team-mate Heinz-Harald Frentzen retired after clipping barriers while well out of contention.

Brazilian Rubens Barrichello gave the Stewart Grand Prix team their very first world championship points after finishing a superb second in only their fifth Grand Prix race. Ulsterman Eddie Irvine completed a magnificient afternoon for Ferrari by finishing third, with Olivier Panis, Mika Salo and Claneario Fisichella completing the points scoring.

Schumacher fitted intermediate tyres just before the start and drove the perfect race, apart from one slide off the circuit at Ste Devote in the later stages. ``All race I was very careful because of what happened last year and it was very tricky in the wet,'' explained a delighted Schumacher, after his 23rd Grand Prix victory.

RESULTS: 1. Michael Schumacher (D) Ferrari 62 laps in 2hr 00m 05.654s average speed of 104.264km/h; 2. Rubens Barrichello (Br) Stewart +53.306s Ford; 3. Eddie Irvine (GB) Ferrari +1m 22.108s; 4. Olivier Panis (F) Prost Mugen +1m 44.402s Honda; 5. Mika Salo (Sf) Tyrrell Ford +one lap; 6.

Giancarlo Fisichella Jordan Peugeot +one lap.

Fastest lap: Schmacher (1m 53.315s -- 106.937 km/h -- lap 26)

Driver's points: 1. M Schumacher 24 points; 2. Villeneuve Castrol 20; 3. Irvine 14; 4. Coulthard, Frentzen (Castrol), Berger & Hakkinen 10; 8. Panis 9; 9. Barrichello 6; 10. R. Schumacher, Fisichella 4; 12. Herbert, Alesi 3; 14. Salo 2, 15. Larini 1.

Constructors' Points: 1. Ferrari 38 points; 2. Williams Renault Castrol 30; 3. McLaren Mercedes 20; 4. Benetton Renault 13; 5. Prost Mugen Honda 9; 6. Jordan Peugeot 8; 7. Stewart Ford 6; 8. Sauber Petronas 4; 9. Tyrrell Ford 2.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.