Drivers 'nervous' ahead of wet Monaco

With frequent showers during Sunday morning soaking the track, it is looking increasingly likely that F1's blue-ribband event on the streets of Monte Carlo will be run in the wet.

And with the tight confines of the track increasing the difficulties caused by the lack of driver aids like traction control and engine braking, Webber himself is worried about the race turning into a crash fest.

"I think quite a few guys are nervous about the rain," said Webber. "We love the challenge of driving in the wet, but driving around here is a bit insane really. It is very, very slippery. And although it is good for people at home if they want to watch cars hitting fences, it will not be a great motor race if it is really wet and raining."

Lewis Hamilton, who won in the downpour at Fuji last year but had a more difficult time at the European GP, believes a wet Monaco Grand Prix will be a totally different experience to both those events.

"Obviously it is a different race, and it is going to be quite a bit harder than the two races that we had last year," he explained. "But I've always been strong in the wet, and I am comfortable with the balance and the handling.

"So as long as we choose the right tyre, and I don't make any mistakes, we should be able to bring the car home in a strong points finish. I think with it wet, it just gives you even more of an opportunity to win.

"When it is dry here and you are stating third, it's very hard to overtake - it's almost impossible to overtake. Especially when the car next to you is almost doing the same times.

"So in the wet you can get a little bit closer, you are less reliant on downforce, and you can press other people into mistakes, and expect other people to make mistakes. So I'm sure that if it's wet there are going to be some Safety Cars, so it could be a really exciting race."

Jenson Button, who was one of the quickest cars during the wet parts of Saturday morning's free practice sessions, said things would likely be scary - but it would at least provide more opportunity for moving up the order.

"In the wet, people are going to make more mistakes so there are possibilities to overtake, but it's very risky around here," he explained. "But we've got to give it a go.

"The pace in the wet is pretty good. I'm happy with the car in the wet. I know there is some onboard footage, and it is as bad as it looks on the onboard footage - it's very, very slippery out there, very twitchy, especially in the Swimming Pool complex, because there are a lot of white lines.

"And it's high speed as well, so you're turning into the Swimming Pool, and there's white lines, and it will give a bit of a twitch, so it's pretty scary here in the wet. But it's also a lot of fun, and I'm looking forward to it now that we've had practice."