Albers Baffled by Spin

The Minardi driver lost control of his car on lap 24, spinning in the middle of the Mirabeau corner.

Red Bull's David Coulthard, driving behind Albers at the time, managed to avoid hitting the Minardi, but Ferrari's Michael Schumacher slammed into the back of Coulthard and blocked the track.

The accident caused a traffic jam which forced the Safety Car to be deployed.

"I had that spin in the hairpin, and I still don't understand what caused it, so we will have to examine that as well," said Albers. "Fortunately, I managed to keep the engine running after the spin, and was able to continue.

"It was a shame for the other drivers who became involved in the incident, but unfortunately, that is racing, and particularly racing here in Monaco."

Albers went on to finish in 14th place, five laps down, while his teammate Patrick Friesacher retired after a big crash coming out of the tunnel.

Despite the poor result, team boss Paul Stoddart was encouraged by their car's pace.

"Considering this marks the first Formula One finish for the PS05, and we were ahead of our nearest rivals on race pace, I really feel that serious progress has been made this weekend," said Stoddart.

"Despite both cars struggling to maintain grip during certain stages of the race, Christijan soldiered on to achieve a well-deserved finish, while Patrick, having had his best weekend in Formula One thus far, sadly did not get to see the chequered flag."