Monday 26 May at 17:55 : Even the notoriously nationalistic Italian press had to hail Ferrari adversary Lewis Hamilton's win on the streets of Monaco on Sunday.

"With extraordinary talent, Lewis was the master of the wet circuit; he did not even have the best car," La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Italian sports newspaper, wrote.

Famous Italian marque Ferrari, hindered by numerous team and driver mistakes on Sunday afternoon, struggled at the Principality despite locking out the front row of the grid in qualifying.

"Ferrari remains strong enough but Maranello may take the liberty of no more errors," Corriere dello Sport, another Italian sports newspaper, surmised.

Tuttosport, a Turin based sports newspaper, characterised the Prancing Horse's Monte Carlo outing as a "half-disaster", and La Stampa said the race had been a "blackout" amid the common perception that the F2008 is still the quickest car in the field.

"After seven years Ferrari had hoped for victory in the Principality but must again accept humiliation.

"McLaren fully deserves this victory," Tuttosport concluded.