For the first time this season Ferrari does not have a driver on the front row, after qualifying in Monte Carlo. A hard-fought session by the top four teams eventually saw Juan Pablo Montoya take P1, with Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello behind in third and fifth.

Schumacher's time of 1.17.118 was set after a disjointed session that saw him encounter traffic and irritated eyes. "It was a busy day. After an electrical problem in the morning, I had to abort one run when I came across a big puff of smoke in the tunnel and thought there was oil on the track," he remarked in a press release.

"Then on one run, I had a traffic problem with Juan-Pablo, which is just down to the nature of this track and after my second run, I also picked up something in my eye. To be honest, we have been a little behind all weekend and there are more Michelin runners than usual near the top.

"We have always said that the situation could change very quickly and today is the proof of that. However, third place is not far behind and in race trim we should be more competitive. If we are not, then the job will be to bring the car home and pick up as many points as possible."

Barrichello had looked promising, but also struggled with traffic, and eventually had to settle for fifth with a 1.17.357. "It was not a perfect day. The car wasn't bad and had the potential to get me onto the front row," he stated.

"Unfortunately, traffic determined where I ended up on the grid. On my second run, I was very quick, but I was blocked by Coulthard. Then again, in the final minutes I ran into traffic. In Monaco, it's impossible to do a good time if you don't have a clear track."

Sporting director Jean Todt added: "For the first time this season we do not have a car on the front row. It proves that if all elements of the package are not running at a hundred percent, the others soon get ahead.

"We knew this would be a difficult qualifying session, because the opposition looks very strong here. Furthermore, more than at any other track, traffic is a critical factor in Monaco. That was certainly the case for both Rubens and Michael.

"In any case, there is still a long way to go with the race ahead of us. Even though overtaking is almost impossible here, we can still pick up important points for both championships."