Montoya Snatches Last-Minute Pole - Monaco GP

Juan Pablo Montoya and David Coulthard completed a stunning form turn-around to claim first and second spot on the grid for Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix as the dominance of Ferrari was extinguished in a gripping qualifying session around the streets of Monte Carlo on Saturday.

The Colombian set a last-minute time of 1:16.676, smashing the lap record, to oust Coulthard from the top spot as the pair out-paced World Champion Michael Schumacher in hot temperatures that suited the Michelin runners.

Schumacher was third fastest, the quickest of the Ferrari pair, just ahead of his brother Ralf Schumacher, in the Michelin-shod Williams-BMW, while Rubens Barrichello claimed the fifth fastest time.

Kimi Raikkonen was sixth fastest for McLaren, with Italian Jarno Trulli seventh for Renault, Jenson Button eighth in the second Renault and Toyota pair Mika Salo and Allan McNish claimed the final two spots in the top ten.

Malaysian driver Alex Yoong have been the first man out early on as most of the drivers relaxed in the sun and waited until later in the session to begin posting their times.

But the unfortunate Yoong hit the barriers as he headed through Sainte Devote on his first flying lap and brushed off camera crews as he rushed back to the pits to lay claim to the spare car.

Irvine was the next man out, in his Jaguar, with 18 minutes of the session gone, but it was not until the 24th minute that any of the lead teams made a move onto the track with Finn Kimi Raikkonen making the first move for McLaren.

With half the session gone, Barrichello, pushing so hard he locked his brakes and precariously slithered around Sainte Devote on his first flying lap, set the fastest time with a lap of one minute and 18.441.

Renault driver Trulli snuck ahead almost immediately, but when Schumacher came out, he slashed 0.673 seconds off the fastest time, with a lap of 1:17.721.

The times continued to drop with Coulthard and then Montoya bringing the benchmark down, the Colombian setting a time of 1:17.275, with Barrichello climbing to second.

Ralf Schumacher then moved top, with a time that beat his teammate Montoya by just one thousandth of a second with 12 minutes to go, but he did not stay there long as Coulthard moved further ahead.

Schumacher tried a late chase for pole, but he could manage only second, pushing his brother Ralf onto the second row of the grid as Coulthard remained out of reach. But a last gasp effort from Montoya claimed the top spot.

Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Montoya Williams BMW (M) 1:16.676 158.224 km/h 12 2. Coulthard McLaren Mercedes (M) 1:17.068 + 0.392 11 3. M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) 1:17.118 + 0.442 12 4. R.Schumacher Williams BMW (M) 1:17.274 + 0.598 12 5. Barrichello Ferrari (B) 1:17.357 + 0.681 11 6. Raikkonen McLaren Mercedes (M) 1:17.660 + 0.984 11 7. Trulli Renault (M) 1:17.710 + 1.034 12 8. Button Renault (M) 1:18.132 + 1.456 12 9. Salo Toyota (M) 1:18.234 + 1.558 12 10. McNish Toyota (M) 1:18.292 + 1.616 12 11. Fisichella Jordan Honda (B) 1:18.342 + 1.666 12 12. Frentzen Arrows Cosworth (B) 1:18.607 + 1.931 12 13. Massa Sauber Petronas (B) 1:19.006 + 2.330 12 14. Villeneuve BAR Honda (B) 1:19.252 + 2.576 11 15. Bernoldi Arrows Cosworth (B) 1:19.412 + 2.736 12 16. Sato Jordan Honda (B) 1:19.461 + 2.785 11 17. Heidfeld Sauber Petronas (B) 1:19.500 + 2.824 12 18. Panis BAR Honda (B) 1:19.569 + 2.893 12 19. Webber Minardi Asiatech (M) 1:19.674 + 2.998 8 20. de la Rosa Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:19.796 + 3.120 12 21. Irvine Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:20.139 + 3.463 11 22. Yoong Minardi Asiatech (M) 1:21.599 + 4.923 9 All Timing Unofficial