Thursday June 1st, 2000

Michael Schumacher could win the Monaco Grand Prix for the fifth time in seven years on Sunday but he says nobody will ever dethrone the late Ayrton Senna as "King of Monte Carlo".

The Brazilian won a record six times, with five in a row from 1989 to 1993.

Schumacher won his first Monaco Grand Prix for Benetton the following year, just weeks after Senna was killed at the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola in a Williams.

"Senna is the king," Schumacher said after the first day's free practice on Thursday.

"I don't think I ever will be. It's not a challenge I'm aiming for, you can't compare the two of us. You never know what he would have done in the future."

The 31-year-old German who leads this year's championship was second fastest on Thursday, pipped at the very end of the session by world champion Mika Hakkinen of McLaren.

"I'm confident but not over confident," said a relaxed Schumacher presiding over the Ferrari stand overlooking the harbour packed with sumptious yachts.

"I know the competition is tight as we have seen today. I have to get a good start in order to win the race."

Schumacher's last three wins on the Monaco circuit renowned for its hairpin corners have come from second place on the grid, and no pole position driver has won a Formula One race in 11 attempts since Hakkinen's victory in Hungary last August.

But Schumacher brushed off talk of a jinx on the pole.

"You know how many times these statistics get broken, sooner or later somebody is going to win from the front," he said.

The Monaco circuit weaves around the narrow streets that leave little room for overtaking so a good position on the grid is vital.

"It's important here to be in the front row, whether you're first or second I think it doesn't matter very much," said Schumacher.

He has 18 points in hand over nearest rival Hakkinen after winning at the Nuerburgring two weeks ago but Schumacher was also watching out for other rivals.

"I would not discount Coulthard honestly. And my team mate (Brazilian Rubens Barichello). He had a problem today with the car but I'm sure that will be fixed."

He also tipped Heinz-Harald Frentzen in the Jordan, Giancarlo Fisichella at Benetton and his brother Ralf Schumacher who drives for Williams and has never finished a race at Monte Carlo yet.

"Any of those guys could do something special here," he said.

A fifth victory at Monaco would bring Schumacher level with Briton Graham Hill who won five times between 1963 and 1969.