Last Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix highlighted the problems that some of the top drivers are having to match the pace and results of their teammates. In stark contrast to last year, Ralf Schumacher, David Coulthard, Rubens Barrichello and Jarno Trulli were all overshadowed by their respective stablemates. Atlas F1's Richard Barnes analyses their situation

For all its social splendour, the Monaco Grand Prix is never the racing highlight of the F1 calendar, nor is it expected to be. Most fans dismiss the annual single-file procession through the streets of the principality with platitudes like 'It's important for its sense of tradition'. Yet, whatever it may lack in wheel to wheel racing opportunities, Monaco remains a stern test of driver and machinery, and one of the most demanding tactical challenges in Formula One.

Conventional wisdom dictates that the pole sitter should win or, at worst, succumb to a rival with years more experience in dealing with the unique challenges of this claustrophobic circuit. That Sunday's Grand Prix was ultimately contested by two relative Monaco rookies, neither of whom led from pole position, is a clear illustration of just how competitive and unpredictable the sport has become in 2003. However, even in an unpredictable year, trends start to emerge. This season, the most notable trend has been the stark difference in fortunes and form between teammates in equal machinery, particularly at the sharp end of the grid.

One year ago, David Coulthard, Ralf Schumacher and Jarno Trulli arrived at Monaco on an equal or better footing than their teammates. Coulthard was McLaren's legitimate Championship challenger while his young stablemate Kimi Raikkonen adjusted to a new team and car. Over at Williams, you could toss a coin to decide which of their two drivers, Ralf Schumacher or Juan Pablo Montoya, would race better on the day. And Renault's Trulli was at least regularly outqualifying, if not always outracing, Briton Jenson Button.

In 2003, those situations have been comprehensively reversed. Coulthard finds himself in the familiar role of de facto support driver to a team-leading Finn, Ralf Schumacher has been the disappointment of the season, and not even Trulli's qualifying speed has prevented sophomore Spaniard Fernando Alonso from snatching the spotlight (and the major share of the WDC points) at Renault. Prior to the weekend, Ferrari team boss Jean Todt stated that nobody was talking about Juan Pablo Montoya anymore. In terms of Championship potential, he could just as easily have been referring to Coulthard, Trulli or Ralf Schumacher.

If any driver could have been expected to re-establish himself at Monaco, it was Coulthard. A former Monaco winner with the cautious style to avoid even the slightest mistake during the most concentration-intensive two hours in F1, Coulthard could and should have relaunched his Championship credentials at Monaco. The Scot made the best possible start to the weekend, comfortably outstripping all rivals during Saturday morning's free practice session. It is perhaps indicative of Coulthard's growing frustration and insecurity that he then sought to tweak a winning package, with disastrous results. A single pre-qualifying set-up change saw him drop from fastest in free practice to eventual sixth on the timesheets.

By contrast, Ralf Schumacher's woes were expected to deepen at Monaco. He's never performed to his full potential at this track, and his season form to date suggested no hope of improvement. In addition, Williams hadn't won in twenty years at Monaco - even with far more dominant cars than this year's FW25. To crown it all, Ralf has seemed singularly uncomfortable with the new single-lap qualifying format. So, in keeping with this season's spirit of expecting the unexpected, it was only natural that he should blitz a perfect hotlap to record a rare pole position.

Among the other top teams, there were no surprises. Trulli outqualified Alonso, and Michael Schumacher similarly pipped Rubens Barrichello. When the chequered flag fell on Sunday afternoon, the results showed a familiar pattern. On a track where passing is nigh impossible, the four team leaders (Michael Schumacher, Montoya, Raikkonen, Alonso) had all passed at least one driver who started in front of them. Equally, their four overshadowed team partners (Ralf Schumacher, Coulthard, Trulli, Barrichello) had all lost positions during the race. It was a perfect microcosm of the season to date.

In Barrichello's case, the lack of form is understandable. In the dominant F2002, Schumacher was content to coast and enjoy the odd close duel with his Brazilian teammate. With the German World Champion extended by genuine Championship competition in 2003, Schumacher has upped the ante again and shown why he is the sport's highest-paid star. Trulli's case is also understandable. The Italian has always battled to transfer his qualifying pace to the race. But what of the other 'forgotten men', Ralf Schumacher and Coulthard?

In Coulthard's case, bad luck has been a major factor. The Scot was denied possible victory in Malaysia through mechanical retirement, almost certain victory in Brazil by the unfortunate timing of the race-stopping accident, and a potentially promising finish in Spain through a first-lap collision with Jarno Trulli.

Yet Coulthard has also been the architect of his problems, via his predilection for sacrificing grid position in favour of race strategy. It's a choice that has bogged him down too often in midfield traffic. Sixth on the grid at Monaco, fourteenth in Austria, eighth in Spain, and twelfth at Imola - small wonder Coulthard has been unable to challenge consistently. Over the same four races, Raikkonen has qualified second, second, twentieth (after running off the track in Spain) and sixth, and Michael Schumacher has achieved three poles and a fifth. The respective points tallies over those four races are even more telling - Schumacher 36, Raikkonen 24, Coulthard a paltry 10. Despite the bizarre results in the wet in Australia and Brazil, the new rules haven't altered one of F1's immutable laws - grid position is paramount.

Coulthard's 'let the race come back to me' approach has already been compromised, less than halfway through the season. With Championship frontrunners Raikkonen and Schumacher already more than twenty points ahead, and exhibiting relentless consistency in racking up podium finishes, Coulthard cannot wait for the Championship race to come back to him. Both McLaren and Ferrari are enjoying near-flawless reliability, Schumacher is unlikely to make silly mistakes and, on the body of evidence so far this season, Raikkonen is proving equally consistent. At this stage, Coulthard has little to lose by focusing more on grid position, even if his ideal race strategy is compromised.

Ralf Schumacher has been consistency personified, the only driver so far to finish every race in the points. Alas, he is also still waiting for his first podium finish, let alone a win, in 2003. Considering that teammate Montoya almost won in Australia, retired from the lead in Austria and won in Monaco, the German's relative lack of pace is a mystery. At the current rate, Schumacher may well outscore Montoya by season's end, but he'll neither challenge for the Championship nor add to the trophy cabinet in the process.

In previous years, 'slightly slower but more consistent' was enough to win Championships, like Alain Prost's unexpected triumph over Nigel Mansell in 1986, or Nelson Piquet's similar feat the following year. Consistency is still vital, but it's no longer enough. Only fast consistency will ensure this year's Championship. The greater reliability of today's machinery, more durable and predictable tyres, and the added tactical element of single-lap qualifying all reward the more aggressive approach of Montoya, Raikkonen and Alonso.

Michael Schumacher and Kimi Raikkonen have settled into a comfortable routine of snatching two of the three podium places on offer, race after race. Between them, they've taken ten of the twenty-one podium places on offer so far this season - almost as much as the rest of the field combined. And that after it took Schumacher four races to get up to speed. If this Championship is to become anything other than a two-horse race, somebody has to step up and break that routine. Juan Pablo Montoya made a start in Monaco. David Coulthard and Ralf Schumacher need to follow up in Canada.