Monaco 2006: Maldonado banishes memories.

Pastor Maldonado made the most of Christian Montanari's errors to take his maiden World Series by Renault win at the blue riband event of the year at Monaco.

The Venezuelan, who received a four meeting ban at the end last year's Monaco race following a collision with a marshal, has been in a battle with the 2005 winner and pole sitter for this year's meeting all weekend, and they duly resumed their tussle from the start.

Although the San Marino driver got away cleanly, Maldonado slotted in behind him, with the duo following nose-to-tail as they pulled away from the pack led by initially Jaap Van Lagen but later James Rossiter.

However, Montanari was the first to make a mistake, getting out of shape and Massanet and making slight contact with the barriers. It was all the invitation Maldonado needed and he duly slipped up the inside to take the lead.

In Montanari's desperation to get back ahead, he made another error at the Swimming Pool, hitting the barriers harder than before and ending any hopes of a repeat victory by have to retire.

Draco Multiracing's second win the principality after helping Montanari to victory in 2005, Maldonado was delighted to have outwitted his rival. "I got a good start and I knew the car was right. The opening laps were crucial as it was a question of getting the tyres up to temperature in controlled fashion. I was just waiting for Christian to make a mistake and felt sure I could win here today."

Further back, there were less incidents than the frantic GP2 race from the day before, with Jaap Van Lagen and Celso Miguez, who were third and fourth, coming together and putting Rossiter in the podium position, a result that later became second when Montanari retired.

Joining Maldonado and Rossiter on the podium was Greg Franchi, the Belgian scoring the best result of his career with a measured drive to third place.

Just behind, Patrick Pilet was being put under immense pressure from Colin Fleming, with the Frenchman eventually buckling when he spun on the penultimate lap.

The result meant the American crossed the line in fourth place, leading home a train of Hayanari Shimoda, Alvaro Parente and Robbie Kerr who had been in close competition from the start but remained in fifth, sixth and seventh.