Qualifying in Monaco is even more special than qualifying anywhere else in the world. Monaco is Monaco, and what race driver would not savor the chance to sit on the pole in front of the global audience. More importantly, the tight track demands a starting spot near the front. As I look at the list of superstar winners over the past decade, I realize that these winners were winning from the front. Monaco offers little if any chance to work through the field for a podium finish. Winning the Sunday race in Monaco requires a strong qualifying effort on Saturday.

Following a five race analyses through San Marino, I predicted in our last issue that Michael Schumacher would take the Monaco pole, Jacques Villeneuve would be second, and Damon Hill would start third. Had Villeneuve found some speed, my analysis would have been perfect.

Schumacher's pole start this week is remarkable given events early in the year. Eddie Irvine actually out-qualified Schumacher in Australia, and since that time, Schumacher has widen the gap between himself and Irvine; the qualifying gap in Monaco was more than a full second. More impressively, only a few races ago, Williams looked to be in a class of their own. Suddenly, a Ferrari looks right at home in front of the pack.

The Williams team still looks solid going into the Sunday race. Hill started behind Villeneuve in Australia, but since that time, the veteran has re-secured his position as the top Saturday driver on the team. Villeneuve must have been disappointed with his qualifying performance in Monaco.

The biggest Saturday surprise probably comes from the Benetton stable. Jean Alesi continued his domination of Gerhard Berger, but this week, Berger stayed close to his teammate for a very respectable fourth place finish on Saturday.

Two other stories caught my eye in the qualifying results this week. Rubens Barrichello was far superior to his teammate Martin Brundle finishing one second and ten spots ahead of his teammate. Heinz-Harald Frentzen just rolls on and on; this week he out-qualified Johnny Herbert by a clear 0.4 seconds.

The rest of the pack went off according to form. The only big surprise was the 2.5+ second differential in the Footwork team with Jos Verstappen far out in the lead. The Forti fans can also relax in Monaco with both drivers qualifying well within the 107 percent rule.

This is a great month for all fans of motor racing, and for my money, Saturday in Monaco is one of the great highlights in May.