Juan Pablo Montoya was king of the streets in Monaco today as the Columbian won the Grand Prix to end Williams 20-year jinx at the famous racing venue. – (Photograph: Getty Images).

01/06/03: Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya won the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix today to end a 20-year Williams jinx.

It was the second win of Montoya's 41 race career and the first of the season for BMW-powered Williams, whose last triumph in the Mediterranean principality was in 1983 with Finland's Keke Rosberg.

Montoya, embraced by wife Connie and delighted mechanics after the race, said: "I have had chances to win. Melbourne I threw away so the pressure was on. "Monza was great but this was fantastic, I am so happy. The hardest pressure was getting Kimi (Raikkonen) before the first stop.

"The car worked really well and I want to thank all the mechanics, they did a brilliant job. Everybody needed this - Ralf got pole yesterday and I got this."

Finland's Kimi Raikkonen finished runner-up for McLaren, 0.6 of a second behind Montoya, to stretch his championship lead over Ferrari's world champion Michael Schumacher to four points after seven races.

Raikkonen, whose McLaren team regained the lead in the manufacturers' championship, said: "I am not very lucky with starting in second place - I seem to get bad starts. I tried to get past but it's impossible here."

Raikkonen has 48 points, Schumacher 44. Schumacher finished a close third, his hopes of equalling the late Brazilian Ayrton Senna's record of six Monaco wins in tatters after a highly strategic race on a tight street circuit where overtaking is almost impossible.

It was the first time since Ferrari introduced their new F2003-GA car last month that the Italian team had been beaten and ended Schumacher's quest for a fourth victory in a row after a poor start to the season.

"Out of fifth to arrive in third is reasonable. We try everything but this weekend probably we were not strong enough," said Schumacher afterwards.

Montoya's team mate Ralf Schumacher was fourth, after starting from pole, with Spaniard Fernando Alonso fifth for Renault ahead of Italian Jarno Trulli in the French manufacturer's other car.

McLaren's David Coulthard was seventh, a disappointment for the Scot who has won twice in the last four years, while Brazilian Rubens Barrichello claimed the final point for champions Ferrari.

McLaren regained the lead in the constructors' championship with 73 points to Ferrari's 71.

Briton Jenson Button did not start after bring withdrawn by his BAR team following a heavy crash in yesterday's free practice.

Final positions

1 JP Montoya (Williams)
2 K Raikkonen (McLaren)
3 M Schumacher (Ferrari)
4 R Schumacher (Williams)
5 F Alonso (Renault)
6 J Trulli (Renault)
7 D Coulthard (McLaren)
8 R Barrichello (Ferrari)