Monaco, warm-up: Coulthard on top again

Coulthard lapped his McLaren-Mercedes around the Principality in 1m20.944s, and was just 0.073secs clear of team mate Mika Hakkinen. Coulthard will start today's race from pole position, while fellow front row man Michael Schumacher was over seven-tenths off the pace of the Silver Arrows in his Ferrari.

The World Championship leader lapped in 1m21.650s, but was almost a second clear of team mate Rubens Barrichello, who was fourth. Heinz-Harald Frentzen cheered Jordan-Honda's so far lacklustre weekend with the fifth-quickest time, ahead of the Williams-BMW of Ralf Schumacher.

Eddie Irvine kept up Jaguar's promise with the seventh fastest time, while the surprises came thick and fast behind. Jos Verstappen was eighth quickest for Arrows, although he ended his session on a tow rope, while Pedro de la Rosa (Jaguar) and Giancarlo Fisichella (Benetton-Renault) rounded out the top ten.

The only car to hit one of Monaco's uncompromising barriers was Minardi's Tarso Marques, who clattered the Armco at the final Anthony Noghes bend.