Mixed Feelings for Renault Drivers

World Championship leader Alonso, who was quickest overall, had no complaints at all about the handling of his R25 and claimed he was confident about maintaining his early form for the rest of the weekend.

"For the drivers, the first day in Monaco means a little more than usual - we need to do a lot of laps in order to get a good feeling with the circuit, and we did that today without any problems, which is a nice start for the race," he said.

"The set-up felt comfortable from the beginning, so there is not too much more to do but in any case, the track conditions are changing all the time on the first day, which means we look at the details of the set-up on Saturday. The car feels consistent on the longer runs, so things are going perfectly at the moment."

Alonso's bright outlook was in contract to Fisichella's worries about the feel of his car - especially after he struggled with brake problems and the overall feel of his car.

"I have been struggling with the car a bit under braking today, and we still have to find some answers with the set-up so that I can feel completely comfortable around this circuit," said the Italian, who ended up fourth fastest.

"The car felt fast on the long runs, so if I can find the extra bit of confidence I need, then we can be very quick. The R25 is competitive here, and I believe we will be in a strong situation on Saturday."