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Alonso quickest in Monaco practice

(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-05-27 21:01

MONACO, May 27 - Renault's world champion Fernando Alonso lapped quickest in final practice for the showcase Monaco Grand Prix on Saturday.

The 24-year-old Spaniard, who has yet to stand on the most glamorous podium in Formula One after four appearances in the Mediterranean principality, lapped the treacherous street circuit in one minute 13.823 seconds.

Ferrari's Michael Schumacher, who could equal the late Brazilian Ayrton Senna's record of six Monaco wins this weekend, was second on the timesheets and 0.208 seconds slower.

Alonso leads seven times champion Schumacher by 15 points in the championship after six races.

Italian Giancarlo Fisichella reinforced Renault's status as race favourites with the third best time on a bright and sunny morning.

Briton David Coulthard was fourth fastest and backed up Alonso's earlier assertion that a team like Red Bull could spring a surprise on the frontrunners in what promises to be the trickiest qualifying of the year.

The Scot won Monaco twice with McLaren.

German rookie Nico Rosberg, another Monaco resident and son of 1982 champion Keke, was an impressive fifth fastest in a Williams ahead of McLaren's Juan Pablo Montoya and Australian Mark Webber in the second Williams.

McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen, last year's winner, was 10th fastest.