Ferrari's Fernando Alonso set the pace in the first practice for the Monaco Grand Prix here on Thursday as Heikki Kovalainen's Caterham blew up bringing a premature end to the session.

Mercedes team chief Ross Brawn has accepted the blame for seven-times champion Michael Schumacher's struggle to turn speed and potential into strong finishes this year.

When Sebastian Vettel headed to the Monaco Grand Prix last season, all the talk was of how quickly the Red Bull driver would wrap up the Formula One championship.

Formula One has been given the go-ahead for a $2.5 billion share sale in Singapore, a source close to the deal told AFP Tuesday, but analysts said conditions may not be ideal after Facebook's recent disappointment.

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton has said that he wants to continue raking points in for his team, ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix scheduled for this Sunday.

Sahara Force India's Paul di Resta is looking forward to support from friends and family when he races in this week's Monaco Grand Prix. The Briton also said he it would be nice for him to return home as he now resides in the sovereign city state bordering the Mediterranean Sea.

Lewis Hamilton fully deserves to win next weekend's glamorous Monaco Grand Prix and become the sixth different winner in six Formula One races this season, his team chief Martin Whitmarsh has declared this week.

Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz this week joined the list of critics who believe that Pirelli's high-wear tyres are bad for the sport - and said that they were turning the competition into a lottery.

Not content with his stunning triumph at last weekend's fire-shrouded Spanish race, Venezuelan hero Pastor Maldonado has declared his intention of staying ahead of the pack in Formula One by winning next Sunday's showpiece Monaco Grand Prix.

Images of Pastor Maldonado celebrating his Formula One victory in the Spanish Grand Prix are being replayed to patriotic music on Venezuelan television, and President Hugo Chavez is heaping praise on the driver.