European Arrows driver Mark Webber will start tomorrow's
F3000 championship fifth round from a respectable seventh on the gird after seeing the Monaco circuit for the first time in qualifying.
The Australian ended the first of two half-hour sessions sixth fastest - and quickest of the rookies - as he underlined his ability to learn new tracks. He was then lucky to survive a spin early in the second session, when he came across a stationery Kevin McGarrity parked across the track. A push start was required to get both cars moving again, but Webber was able to up his pace when it mattered, and wound up just three-tenths shy of pole-sitter David Saelens.
Hopes of any further improvement were dashed when the
Silverstone race winner lost his car at the second chicane in the Swimming Pool section and hit the barriers with five minutes remaining. This time, a wheel had been ripped of the car, and Webber's session was done.
''It was going well up until then,'' he sighed, ''and I was just trying to put a big lap in at the end. I knew I could get close to the front, and I just braked a bit late for the chicane, got onto the grey stuff and couldn't get it back.
''The plan was to push quite hard in the last five minutes, but I came unstuck. I'm a little disappointed that I made that mistake there, as it would have been nice to have been a few rows further up - I know I was capable of it. Driving here is quite frustrating with all the traffic and yellow flags, so you don't enjoy the track as much as you want - but I don't mind it. It's going to be a long race, but I'm hoping that I can come through it in the points.''
Team-mate Christijan Albers was also making his Monaco debut, but will start a lot further down the grid after two eventful sessions relegated him to 22nd place. The reigning German
F3 champion clipped the barriers in the opening session, damaging a wheel, and then suffered problems with his car's master switch in the second, which kept alternating between on and off, almost causing the car to stop in the slowest corners.
''The only time it didn't happen was on the lap when I managed to improve my time,'' the Dutchman grimaced.
