Sutil says Q2 feels like pole position

German driver Sutil, who narrowly missed out on a points finish in Monaco last year, took a career-best 15th spot on the grid, and believes that he can make further ground during Sunday's race.

"It feels a bit like a pole position for us, and it was fun to be able to do it," he said. "Everything came together, the team did a good job in the garage and I felt my lap was strong. It was difficult with the traffic and then the stoppages, but it was a good run.

"Tomorrow I hope we will be able to fight in the midfield and try to get ahead of some people. The start could be a bit tricky, as it always is here, but I feel all set for tomorrow. We are really motivated now and are hoping for a good race."

Team-mate Fisichella claimed 13th place on the grid, his best starting position since grabbing 12th at Monza last year.

However, with that previous result coming in wet conditions, the performance at Monaco was far more indicative of a genuine improvement in overall pace from the Mercedes-powered team.

"I think we can be really satisfied and very happy with the performance today," the veteran Italian said. "The team worked well and two cars in the top 15 is good: very encouraging. For tomorrow I want to get to the end of the race and let's see - this is Monaco, you never know what can happen."