Webber displaced Britain’s Jenson Button who had himself just set the fastest time in his BAR-Honda from David Coulthard who had also set his best time in the dying seconds of the session.

Button, hoping to score his first podium finish after equalling his career-best result of fourth at the last race in Monaco, finished just 0.1secs adrift of Webber in his BAR-Honda.

Coulthard – winner of Formula One’s most prestigious twice in the past three years – was just fractions of a second further adrift in his McLaren-Mercedes.

The 32-year-old Scot, who like Button lives a short distance from the track, badly needs to claim a hat-trick of wins on Sunday and begin his championship fightback.

Spain’s Fernando Alonso was fourth quickest just ahead of team-mate Jarno Trulli with the Renault duo expected to be among the leading contenders on a tight track that should suit their car.

Michael Schumacher was sixth fastest for Ferrari as he launched his bid for a sixth victory in Monte Carlo that would equal the record set by Brazil’s three-time former world champion Ayrton Senna.

Schumacher, having dismissed the threat of Coulthard’s new McLaren, found the old model too fast this morning as he finished over half-a-second adrift.

Kimi Raikkonen, who leads the championship by two points from Schumacher, was ninth fastest in his McLaren behind Jordan’s Giancarlo Fisichella and the Williams-BMW of Juan Pablo Montoya.

Jordan’s Ralph Firman finished 16th fastest in his first outing on the famous track while Justin Wilson, who has raced in F3000 in