Hakkinen fears Schumacher has edge

The Finn was second quickest followed by team-mate David Coulthard third and Giancarlo Fisichella, of Benetton, fourth.

Schumacher is bidding to win this race for the fifth time in seven years and match Graham Hill's total - one behind Ayrton Senna's record of six.

The world champion who won in Monte Carlo two years ago admitted McLaren were not perfectly prepared for one of the hardest races of the season. Both drivers have tested for the race, but Schumacher was markedly more upbeat about Ferrari's Fiorano testing than Hakkinen was about that which McLaren achieved at Silverstone.

"We have been testing at Silverstone and some of it was for this Grand
Prix, some aerodynamic and some mechanical," said Hakkinen.

"Silverstone was a bit difficult for testing because of the weather conditions.

"We could be better prepared but there are always areas where we could be more prepared and more competitive.

"There are some things coming that we cannot use at this Grand Prix but what we have got at the moment is a strong package.

"And with that package I believe we can do a very good job."

But he said the Monaco represented a unique challenge.

"The most important to stay focused, stay calm and consistent. The challenge is not to make mistakes.

"If you do it could cost you a lot of time and automatically slow development of the car for the race.

Schumacher agreed: "Driving that close to the barriers is not a normal thing for the drivers so to get the best out of the car without hitting them is a very big challenge.

"Mistakes cost you time because it doesn't usually mean just a trip across the gravel - it means a collision with the barriers."

That was just what his brother Ralf found out as he punted the guard rails at Portier in the first session of the weekend on Thursday.

"Kissing the barriers will normally happen a couple times and weekend. As long as you just kiss them its fine," said Schumacher senior.