Toyota baffled by Ralf's Monaco pace

Schumacher is facing increased pressure to up his game, amid speculation that he could be dropped before the French GP if his speed does not improve.

And after his lacklustre performance in Monaco, where he qualified 20th, the team say there is no logical explanation for what happened.

"In Monaco we had problems," said Toyota's Pascal Vasselon, Senior General Manager Chassis. "After Barcelona practice Ralf had made a step in terms of confidence but for different reasons there were problems in Q1.

"In the Barcelona race he was capable of running competitively but he was hit on the first lap after he had already made up some places. His pace was good when he was free and that was confirmation that we had made a step.

"Monaco we are looking into, but the track is a bit of a one-off, whereas if you've made a step at Barcelona it usually translates to other circuits."

Vasselon said that Schumacher's biggest problem was getting comfortable in the car - even though the team did everything they could to help the German.

"From the very beginning we were struggling to give Ralf a car which was comfortable over bumps and kerbs and that affected his confidence. He felt very low grip as well."