MOTOR SPORT/Monaco Grand Prix: Monaco has always had the propensity to spring surprises. It is a creature of a different stripe. It has its own clunky rules, borne from a history of attempting to harness, channel and control the ever-increasing power of the Formula One cars that prowl its lanes and concourses annually.

Modern methods of regulation have seen the construction of a dedicated pit lane by the harbour, a softening of the Rascasse hairpin and a general move towards streamlining a circuit designed for pre-war enthusiasts to the needs of 21st century techno toys. But still it has its own strange mechanism.

Which churns out the unpredictable.

Not, now, on the day of the race though.

That, in the modern era, is a battle of wits in front of the timing screens and data flows. Overtaking is an impossibility. The war is won at the start and in the pit stops.

Nowadays, the surprise is in the shake-up for the grid. At a race where grid spot also spells finishing positions, this afternoon's qualifying session is crucial. And this year promises a return to the lottery of old.

In recent times, qualifying has consisted of single laps from each driver, running alone on the track in a one-shot bid for pre-eminence. The pressure of the single opportunity gave some small frisson. Who would crumble, who would flourish? But in the end it was deemed a poor format.

This year Formula One has returned, in part at least, to drivers using as many laps as they need, being whittled down, through three short sessions, from 22 to 16, to 10 and a final 20-minute showdown where it's survival of the fittest, or fastest.

Which for this year's Monaco means the potential for surprise. Get your timing wrong and you could be shut out, not just from the sharp end of the grid but from even the final session. Renault's Giancarlo Fisichella found that out to his cost at the recent European Grand Prix, mistiming his run and being suddenly bounced in seconds from the top few to outside the top 10 and the final showdown.

In Monaco, the chances of losing out are even greater.

For here, a faster car is no advantage. Balance and poise are the defining qualities, and some cars have more than others, but at a circuit where outright power is next to useless, drivers who were two weeks ago being left in a frontrunner's wake are suddenly competition again.

World champion Fernando Alonso acknowledged as much yesterday.

"In Monaco there are always some surprises, as we saw last year when Williams finished second and third," said the Spaniard. "There will be some teams here that will be a surprise and will be in front of the top teams. Hopefully it will not happen to us. Every year its a different team, but Williams, Red Bull, BMW - one of those teams - normally in Monaco they are extremely quick and cause some trouble to you."

The champion also flagged the dangers of the qualifying free-for-all, with the possibility of having all cars on the track at the same time.

"I'm sure that on Saturday afternoon we have a lot of discussions between the drivers," said Alonso. "We have to be patient, we know that it's impossible for everybody to get a clear lap with 22 cars in three kilometres in one minute.

"The most important part of this weekend is the qualifying, but at the same time the most difficult part."

Alonso's feeling was borne out in practice on Thursday when McLaren's Juan Pablo Montoya was the fastest of the race drivers on circuit. McLaren have been some way off the front-running pace all season, but here they have been springboarded to competitiveness by the quirky circuit.

It is the mark of the place. Despite its anachronistic limitations, it is still one of the drivers' ultimate proving grounds. Where car power no longer gives a driver an edge, it comes down to judgment, skill and courage. Surprise, surprise.