Schumacher close to historic win?

He will go one step further than Niki Lauda and become the driver to score the most wins in a Ferrari in the sport's 49-year history.

Schumacher's win at Imola a fortnight ago took him level with the Austrian on 15 - more than a host of famous Ferrari drivers including Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Gilles Villeneuve, Jean Alesi and Gerhard Berger.

'I am confident we can win at Monaco,' said Schumacher. 'But qualifying will be crucial - it is as important as the race.'

He knows because he has won at Monaco three times in the last five years - but last year was not one of them.

After banging wheels with Austrian Alexander Wurz he had a scrappy race to finish 10th.

Only five drivers have won in Monaco in the past 15 years and two of them are retired. Brazilian Ayrton Senna won six times, Alain Prost won four, Olivier Panis once (1996), Schumacher (four) and Hakkinen once (1998).