Ralf to Lose 10 Places on Starting Grid

Ralf Schumacher's hopes of repeating last year's Monaco Grand Prix pole position vanished on Thursday when his Williams needed a new engine after first practice for Sunday's race.

Under new rules introduced this season, drivers are restricted to one engine per race. Each replacement means the loss of 10 places on the starting grid. Ralf failed to complete a full timed lap in the opening practice session.

Williams ended a 20-year wait for victory in the Mediterranean principality last year when Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya won the glamour race.

But the BMW-powered team had played down their chances of repeating that success this year, with Ferrari's six-times World Champion Michael Schumacher dominant in the season's first five races.

Ralf, whose future at Williams looks increasingly uncertain, finished fourth in Monaco last year and has never been a big fan of the unforgiving street circuit where overtaking is almost impossible.

The German, Michael's younger brother, had five Monaco retirements in a row before finishing third in the 2002 race.