McLaren fortunes on the up

For perhaps the first time this season, McLaren-Mercedes has spotted a silver lining to its cloudy start to the year at Monaco

Kimi Raikkonen qualified fifth and team-mate David Coulthard will start eighth - by far McLaren's most convincing performance of the season.

"For sure this has been our best grand prix weekend so far this year," said Raikkonen, "And it's nice to be closer to the front again. A perfect lap might have gained us one more place on the grid, but the car and my Michelin tyres were working well. I think we have a good strategy for the race, but what will happen depends on what the other teams are doing strategy-wise.

"I'm close to Michael on the starting grid and so far this year I have made some good getaways to gain quite a few places. In addition I'm on the right side of the track which I hope will prove an advantage."

Coulthard said: "My approach to my qualifying lap was much too conservative, and at the last part of the swimming pool section things were not perfect, which lost me some momentum and consequently time. As I love this circuit I'm a little disappointed not to have qualified higher up as it's so difficult to make up positions in the race."

Team chief Ron Dennis added: "Clearly the team has made progress over earlier races with the characteristics of the Monaco circuit and the quality of our driver line up contributing to our grid positions which will allow us to fight at the front of the field."