Thursday First Free Practice

Michael Schumacher sent out an early warning to title rival David Coulthard as he went more than eight tenths of a second quicker than the McLaren driver in opening practice for Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix.

Schumacher powered his Ferrari to a convincing best lap time as Coulthard and Jordan's Jarno Trulli finished second and third in Monte Carlo.

Heinz-Harald Frentzen, who stopped on the track at the end of the session, was fourth fastest ahead of Mika Hakkinen and Rubens Barrichello. Trulli missed the chicane during one run and BAR's Jacques Villeneuve also spun during the session.

Pedro de la Rosa completed just nine laps after hitting the barriers at Portier, while Tarso Marques ended at the bottom of the timesheets after spinning 180 degrees at Rascasse.

Arrows tried out a bizarre aerodynamic aid on the nose cone, which was removed during the session and driver Enrique Bernoldi had a problem which forced him to stop at the end of the pit-lane.

Pos Driver Team Times 1. M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) 1:21.577 148.718 km/h 2. Coulthard Mclaren Mercedes (B) 1:22.404 + 0.827 3. Trulli Jordan Honda (B) 1:22.667 + 1.090 4. Frentzen Jordan Honda (B) 1:23.024 + 1.447 5. Barrichello Ferrari (B) 1:23.337 + 1.760 6. Hakkinen Mclaren Mercedes (B) 1:23.347 + 1.770 7. Panis BAR Honda (B) 1:23.662 + 2.085 8. R.Schumacher Williams BMW (M) 1:23.678 + 2.101 9. Irvine Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:23.930 + 2.353 10. Alesi Prost Acer (M) 1:24.019 + 2.442 11. Raikkonen Sauber Petronas (B) 1:24.441 + 2.864 12. Heidfeld Sauber Petronas (B) 1:24.762 + 3.185 13. Fisichella Benetton Renault (M) 1:24.871 + 3.294 14. Villeneuve BAR Honda (B) 1:24.918 + 3.341 15. Verstappen Arrows Asiatech (B) 1:24.931 + 3.354 16. Montoya Williams BMW (M) 1:25.838 + 4.261 17. Bernoldi Arrows Asiatech (B) 1:25.952 + 4.375 18. Button Benetton Renault (M) 1:26.702 + 5.125 19. Alonso Minardi European (M) 1:26.759 + 5.182 20. Burti Prost Acer (M) 1:26.905 + 5.328 21. de la Rosa Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:27.316 + 5.739 22. Marques Minardi European (M) 1:30.230 + 8.653 All Timing Unofficial