Luck eludes Klien, Barrichello and Trulli.

Whilst few would begrudge David Coulthard and Red Bull Racing a podium at the Monaco Grand Prix, it is important to note that the final space of the podium passed through several hands before emerging in the Scot's lap.

Initially it was Kimi Raikkonen and Mark Webber that locked out the podium with eventual winner Fernando Alonso, but when the McLaren and Williams retired in quick succession, a podium position was passed onto Rubens Barrichello.

Indeed, this was a potentially crucial result for the Brazilian who has so far this year struggled to get the most from his new Honda car. However, having qualified with a heavy fuel load and managing to stay in fifth place, Barrichello soon inherited third and looked all set to claim a surprise podium.

However, stewards had put him under investigation for speeding in the pit lane during his one and only stop, with a drive-through penalty being imposed on him, thus dropping him down to fifth place.

"Fourth is a good points finish and my best so far this season but I'm disappointed because I was looking good for third today," a frustrated Barrichello said. "It was a tough race and I didn't feel competitive at all. I was carrying a lot of fuel but I did a good job to keep pace because I was really struggling with the balance of the car.

"It was obviously a huge blow to be called in for the drive-through penalty because I was sure the limiter light was on. I'm really very upset for the team and for myself because it would have been an extra point, but more than that, my first podium of the year.

Although Rubens Barrichello's presence in third place had been a surprise, then the shock new beneficiary of the potential six points was Jarno Trulli, who's heavy fuel load was also paying off on a weekend that had seen Toyota struggle desperately with their new B-specification car.

However, third place was proving to be something of a poisoned chalice for all those who emerged in the position, with Trulli agonisingly coming to a halt just five laps from the end of the race with hydraulic failure. It also prevented the Italian, who won the Monaco Grand Prix for Renault in 2004, from claiming his first points of year

"Once again it's a tale of woe for me! It's frustrating because I am giving my best, doing everything I can in qualifying and the race and yet things are just not going right for me. Our pace was good today and the tyres were consistent. I could have gone quicker but I spent most of the afternoon in traffic so I never had a clear lap to really push.

"When I came into the pits with Barrichello I could tell that he had forgotten to hit the pit limiter. At the end I was just bringing the car home and everything was under control until the sudden hydraulic problem. It's obviously a pity to miss out on a podium here for the second year in a row."

As a result, Trulli's misfortune saw David Coulthard inherit third place and keep it together until the finish line, but not before another potential podium sitter Christian Klien had been forced to retire with gearbox problems.

Indeed, the Austrian had been running ahead of Coulthard in the final part of the race, but when he was faced with a box full of neutrals he parked up in the pit lane and was left to imagine what could have been his debut podium position.

"I lost drive during the race and that was the end of it. It's such a shame as the car was feeling strong until that point and I was up for a good points finish. It's frustrating that the car wasn't reliable and we need to work harder to ensure we get more race finishes."

The result now means that Red Bull has vaulted up the constructors' standings into joint sixth with Williams, while Toyota have now slipped to eighth.