Lewis Hamilton in the McLaren garage [Picture: Vodafone McLaren Mercedes]

FORMULA 1 driver Lewis Hamilton was fourth fastest in first practice for the 2012 Monaco Grand Prix.

The opening session in sunny Monte Carlo this morning (Thursday) was red-flagged with just minutes to go with a huge amount of smoke at the exit of the tunnel.

Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso was top of the P1 timesheets ahead of the lull in the action, with Lotus F1 driver Romain Grosjean second fastest.

Alonso clocked a best lap time of 1m 16.265s.

Sergio Perez was third quickest for Sauber at that point ahead of Hamilton’s Vodafone McLaren Mercedes.

The McLaren pitwall told 27-year-old Lewis: “Heikki’s stopped on the racing line at the exit of the tunnel.”

Herts-born F1 racer Hamilton later replied over the team radio: “Incredible amount of smoke in the tunnel.”

With one hour of P1 completed in the Principality, Hamilton had set the fastest lap with a 1m 16.747s.

He was told: “You are the fastest car on the circuit – suggest box this lap.”

However, Alonso, Swiss F1 driver Grosjean and Mexican Perez all went quicker before the session ended under a red flag.

Hamilton’s McLaren teammate Jenson Button was eighth in the P1 results on a 1m 17.190s, just ahead of Sebastian Vettel’s Red Bull.