Alonso predicts competitive weekend

The Spaniard, winner of the Monte Carlo race in 2007, finished ninth and 11th quickest in the two sessions.

Alonso believes Renault will be competitive this weekend, but admitted his chances of a good result will depend on having a strong qualifying.

"Monaco on a Thursday is always more important for the drivers than for the team because it gives us time to get used to the circuit and feel comfortable in the car," Alonso said. "We did quite a lot of laps today so it was useful for me and I'm happy with the car.

"I think that we are quite competitive, but qualifying will be the key to the race and our preparation today should help ensure we get the most from the car on Saturday."

Nelson Piquet was 10th fastest, the Brazilian echoing his team-mate's thoughts about Renault's form.

"It always takes a few laps to get used to racing on the tight streets of Monaco, but after the morning session I was back in the groove," he said.

"The car worked well today and we didn't have any problems, which allowed us to complete a lot of laps. The track was dirty this morning and improved during the day, just as it always does in Monaco, but that made it difficult to evaluate the tyres and the set-up changes we made. Overall though I think we are in reasonable shape for the weekend."