Ahead of this afternoon's qualifying session, the big news is that Fernando Alonso will not be participating.

Following his accident during the free practice session it was discovered that his chassis was "not repairable", consequently the Spaniard will start tomorrow's race from the pitlane in a new car.

In all reality, the Ferrari driver might not be alone tomorrow afternoon for with twenty-three cars taking part in Q1 we can expect a few surprises as the big guns find themselves tripping up over the numerous slower cars. How slow, well, the quickest GP2 cars this weekend have been lapping quicker than the Hispanias.

Robert Kubica was quickest this morning, the Pole an obvious dark horse both for pole position and possibly even the win. However, most of the usual suspects clearly have pace here even though Button was a disappointing tenth this morning.

It is pointless to try and make predictions about what might happen over the course of the next hour, far less tomorrow, for this is Monaco and as we know from experience anything can happen here… and usually does.

Tyre options are medium (prime) and super-soft (option).

As the lights go green the air temperature is 19 degrees C while the track temperature is 35 degrees.

Webber is one of the first out, along with Hamilton, Button Rosberg, Vettel and Kubica.

Glock posts 20.362 but moments later Kubica up the ante with a 16.629. The times are tumbling and once the first laps have been completed Massa (15.660) leads Hamilton, Kubica, Schumacher, Vettel and Button.

Barrichello goes third with a 15.967 as Schumacher posts 16.113 to go fourth. All but Alguersuari are on track.

Rosberg goes quickest in the first two sectors but then hit traffic, his lap ruined. Elsewhere, Button goes quickest with a 15.623, however, Massa and Vettel are both on hot laps.

No sooner has Vettel gone quickest with a 15.110 than he is leapfrogged by Massa (14.757). All this on the harder compound.

Sutil, in seventh with ten minutes remaining, posts a personal best in the first sector as most of his rivals head back to the pits. The German posts 15.445 to go fifth.

The top nine - Massa, Webber, Vettel, Rosberg, Liuzzi, Sutil, Button and Schumacher appear to have settled for their times, leaving the usual suspects to slug it out. That said, Button leaves the pits for another go as Petrov posts 15.482 to go eighth.

Just under three minutes remaining and Kovalainen, Trulli, Glock, di Grassi, Senna and Chandhok fill the bottom six positions.

Hamilton goes quickest in the first sector, as Kovalainen has his second spin of the afternoon. Hamilton loses a heap of time in the second sector and aborts the lap.

Q1 ends, with Massa fastest, ahead of Webber, Kubica, Vettel, Rosberg, Liuzzi, Sutil, Petrov, Button and Schumacher.