Monaco Grand Prix 2003 - Race Schedule and Countdown

Juan Pablo Montoya delivered a brilliant victory at Monaco, mastering the principality's tight streets to hand Williams-BMW their first win of the season and halt Michael Schumacher's winning streak at three races. The Colombian drove aggressively from start to finish, his attacking style perfectly suited to Monaco's demands as he controlled the race despite intense pressure from Kimi Räikkönen's McLaren. Montoya's triumph demonstrated Williams' potential when reliability didn't betray them, offering hope that they could still challenge for race wins despite their inconsistent season.

Räikkönen claimed an excellent second place, the Finn driving brilliantly to keep his championship hopes alive despite Schumacher's recent dominance. The McLaren driver pushed Montoya throughout but couldn't find a way past on Monaco's narrow streets, forced to settle for eight valuable points. Schumacher could only manage third after an uncharacteristic qualifying error left him starting from fourth on the grid, his damage-limitation drive preventing Räikkönen from closing the championship gap further but ending Ferrari's winning run.

The Monaco result broke Ferrari's recent stranglehold and injected fresh unpredictability into the championship. Montoya's victory was the season's fifth different winner in seven races, confirming 2003 as one of the most competitive campaigns in F1 history. Schumacher's points lead remained intact but had been trimmed to just two points over Räikkönen, setting up an intense battle for the second half of the season. Williams celebrated their first victory since Malaysia 2001, proving they could still win when everything came together.