Nico Hulkenberg's car is up on the stands, wheels off. What's wrong? Potentially an energy store problem.

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer in Monaco

Williams lie sixth in the constructors’ championship, and this is not on paper a great race for them to start making up ground lost partly to two unfortunate punctures for Felipe Massa in Russia and Spain. Williams have been dire in Monaco in recent years, the track exposing the car’s lack of low-speed mechanical grip and downforce. But Massa sees reason to believe this year might be different.

“In the last three years, this was the worst race for us, it was terrible, the feeling that you have here on this track, definitely was not the right track for our car in the last three years,” the Brazilian said, “but you need to keep in mind this time it’s different rules, different challenge for so many different reasons. The only thing I can say and I can be a little more optimistic is that in the last sector in Barcelona we were not so bad this time. We were terrible in the last three years on that sector, so I would say that maybe it can give you a little bit extra, making you a little bit more optimistic, that something can work in a little bit different way and the car can be a little bit more competitive than how it was in the last three years.”

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Lance Stroll has been finding his feet in Monaco. He has the 15th quickest time at the moment but his Williams team-mate Felipe Massa is sixth, 1.192s off Lewis Hamilton's time following a 1:14.617.

Still no times by Nico Hulkenberg or Marcus Ericsson. Both are still in the pits with 40 minutes to go. They've only done three laps each so some issues there, it would seem.

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Allan McNish is NOT asleep, I can assure you. In fact you can listen to him and Jack Nicholls on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra right now.

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Jeremiah Kariuki: This seems to be a see saw for Bottas and Hamilton! What Lewis does, Bottas can do better. Both under 1:14!

Lewis Hamilton is having none of that. He subsequently finds five tenths more on his next run on the ultra-softs to cut the timing beam in 1:13.429, four tenths clear of Valtteri Bottas.

A fascinating Thursday tussle.

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Lewis Hamilton finally climbs back into P1 as he goes three tenths clear of Sebastian Vettel.

Valtteri Bottas, though, is looking absolutely on it already in Monaco and not even a little brush with the barrier towards the end of his lap can stop him going a tenth clear of Hamilton at the top with 1:13.828.

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Alex: Gotta be Mansell at Silverstone. Memories of literally levitating off the sofa during the last 28 laps in '87!

Racing Insider: It would be epic to see @ScuderiaFerrari, external put the one and only Luca Badoer back in the car so he can restore his reputation!

Lewis Hamilton is on the quickest compound of tyre now - the ultra-softs. He's looking very quick around Monaco... and goes fractionally slower than Sebastian Vettel. His time of 1:14.355 is just 0.066 off Sebastian Vettel's time.

Sergio Perez, meanwhile, has leapt up to fourth as the ultra-softs help him to move within three tenths of Vettel's time.

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Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer in Monaco

Ferrari have not won in Monaco since 2001 - a remarkable 16-year losing streak. It has not all been about poor performance. Michael Schumacher might have won in 2004 and 2006 had things worked out differently (especially had he not cheated by parking at Rascasse in qualifying in 2006). Fernando Alonso could have won in 2010 and 2012 had he not a) crashed in final practice in the first of those years; and b) been left out for one more lap before his pit stop in the second. But this year Sebastian Vettel is confident that Ferrari have the pace and everything else they need to end their barren run. “We have a very strong package and a very strong team, so we don't have anything to be afraid of,” Vettel said. Pole was “possible”, he said, if he could get into a rhythm and build his confidence.

But he said he was not fretting about the need to bounce back from defeat in Spain with a win straight away. ”I think the most important is that we were there in all five races and we could have won all five if things were turning out a bit differently,” Vettel said. “But we didn't.

"Sometimes we ended up being on the unluckier side, sometimes not, but we have a long season ahead of us. Stuff like that will even out. We have had scrappy Fridays, rough Saturdays but we were always there in the race and that is what matters. It proves we have a strong package, a strong car, and we are doing the right thing. I am not so worried.

Image source, Rex Features

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It's been a long time since the guys in the Ferrari garage were able to celebrate a race win in Monaco, 16 years to be precise. Michael Schumacher was the last driver for the team to triumph in the principality back in 2001.

Jennie Gow
BBC Radio 5 live pit-lane reporter

It is fascinating to watch Max Verstappen's car. The floor has just come off and it looks like they are dismantling the car, taking the rear end off it. Whether they are going to have to do an engine change or do something with the gearbox it is hard to tell. Max has just gone ambling down to the Swimming Pool, so maybe he is going for a dip?

Lots of working going on on Max Verstappen's Red Bull. He had pitted earlier after being warned about a potential puncture but his car is up on the stands now, wheels off. He won't be back out anytime soon.

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JK Wilkinson:Damon Hill and MonacoGP. Unlike his dad, he never won it and really felt for him in 1996, when leading the race, his engine blew up.

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A change at the top as Sebastian Vettel goes quickest of all with a 1:14.289 on the ultra-softs. That's half a second quicker than Daniel Ricciardo.

We've got 17 times on the screen now with Nico Hulkenberg, Marcus Ericsson and Sergio Perez yet to complete a timed lap.

Allan McNish
BBC Radio 5 live Formula 1 analyst

Jenson Button is the only driver out on soft tyres. They are not the favoured tyre at all but will allow him to run and keep going and get up to speed with the car. The fastest Jenson has gone before today is on a bicycle in triathlons.

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Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer in Monaco

The word ahead of Monaco was that Jenson Button was a reluctant accomplice in the grand McLaren masterplan for Fernando Alonso to race at the Indy 500. But if Button did not really want to be here, he hid it well in his public appearances on Wednesday. He had been “surprised” by Alonso’s decision, he said, but when he got the call from McLaren racing director Eric Boullier, his reaction was “Hell, yeah.” “It’s a circuit I love,” he added, “and I lived here for 17 years. I am lucky to be back here and I’m going to make the most of it. I am going to enjoy it and see what happens.”

And what did Alonso say? “I haven't spoken to him,” Button replied. “We texted. I am going to give him a call before this weekend to make sure he knows I am going to do the best in his car.”

He was not worried about much, he said, other than his neck muscles. Although he admitted it would have been better to test the car had a “proper” test been an option. It will be fascinating to see how he gets on - and he has a lot to live up to, after Alonso put the car seventh on the grid in Spain two weeks ago. Given Monaco is much better suited to the McLaren package and its lack of horsepower, on paper the team should be able to match that this weekend.

Kimi Raikkonen is not alone in running a bit too familiar with the barriers. He clips the wall on the exit at the Swimming Pool.

"I've touched the barrier but it was really gentle," Button assures his team.

The Briton is currently propping up the timing sheet with a with 1:20.083 on the softs.