Grd4Spd
10-11-2003, 12:02 PM
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Rubens Barrichello will start the Japanese GP from pole position after rain ruined the challenges of Michael Schumacher and Kimi Raikkonen.
Raikkonen, who needs to win to keep his title hopes alive, faces an uphill struggle after qualifying eighth while Schumacher is languishing in 14th.
The first 15 cars - including Barrichello and Juan Pablo Montoya - qualified in dry conditions but a sprinkling of rain before the final five drivers emerged caused havoc.
Raikkonen was the first of the last group on track and tiptoed around the slippery track to clock the seventh fastest time. He was then knocked down to eighth by team-mate David Coulthard.
The consolation for Raikkonen is that conditions worsened and Michael Schumacher managed only 14th spot - but then the Finn must win Sunday's race while Schuey needs only a single point.
However, 14th place represents Schumacher's lowest qualifying position for eight years.
The German did well to make it round and set a time at all, something that was beyond either brother Ralf or Jarno Trulli.
Ralf spun at the chicane and abandoned his run while Trulli did not even attempt to set a time and decided to save his fuel instead. The duo will make up the back row for Sunday's race.
Barrichello looks in good shape for victory after setting a time nearly seven-tenths faster than anyone else.
But the constructors' championship is still delicately poised as Williams' Juan Pablo Montoya will start second after a fairly untidy lap.
The second row of the grid is an all-Toyota affair, by far the team's best ever qualifying showing.
Cristiano da Matta produced a brilliant lap early on in the session and would have been well inside the top 10 even without the help of the rain.
The Brazilian's time always promised to keep the lead runners honest - and so it proved. Fernando Alonso failed to match the Brazilian's mark in the dry while Montoya beat him by only seven-thousandths of a second.
Mark Webber and Jenson Button were big beneficiaries of the changeable weather. Both drivers made mistakes on their flying laps but will still start from sixth and ninth. Justin Wilson also made the top 10.
Takuma Sato will start his comeback race from 13th - ahead of Michael Schumacher. The Japanese driver made a big error in the first sector on his lap but the rain lent his performance some respectability.
The mixed-up grid means the finale to the championship should be anything but dull. But despite the weather's intervention, it is fair to say the odds are stacked in the favour of Ferrari and Michael Schumacher more than ever.
Grid for the Japanese Grand Prix
1 BARRICHELLO Ferrari 1m31.713s
2 MONTOYA Williams 1m32.412s
3 DA MATTA Toyota 1m32.419s
4 PANIS Toyota 1m32.862s
5 ALONSO Renault 1m33.044s
6 WEBBER Jaguar 1m33.106s
7 COULTHARD McLaren 1m33.137s
8 RAIKKONEN McLaren 1m33.272s
9 BUTTON BAR 1m33.474s
10 WILSON Jaguar 1m33.558s
11 HEIDFELD Sauber 1m33.632s
12 FRENTZEN Sauber 1m33.896s
13 SATO BAR 1m33.924s
14 M.SCHUMACHER Ferrari 1m34.302s
15 FIRMAN Jordan 1m34.771s
16 FISICHELLA Jordan 1m34.912s
17 VERSTAPPEN Minardi 1m34.975s
18 KIESA Minardi 1m37.226s
19 R.SCHUMACHER Williams 1m48.100s
20 TRULLI Renault 1m59.200s
Rubens Barrichello will start the Japanese GP from pole position after rain ruined the challenges of Michael Schumacher and Kimi Raikkonen.
Raikkonen, who needs to win to keep his title hopes alive, faces an uphill struggle after qualifying eighth while Schumacher is languishing in 14th.
The first 15 cars - including Barrichello and Juan Pablo Montoya - qualified in dry conditions but a sprinkling of rain before the final five drivers emerged caused havoc.
Raikkonen was the first of the last group on track and tiptoed around the slippery track to clock the seventh fastest time. He was then knocked down to eighth by team-mate David Coulthard.
The consolation for Raikkonen is that conditions worsened and Michael Schumacher managed only 14th spot - but then the Finn must win Sunday's race while Schuey needs only a single point.
However, 14th place represents Schumacher's lowest qualifying position for eight years.
The German did well to make it round and set a time at all, something that was beyond either brother Ralf or Jarno Trulli.
Ralf spun at the chicane and abandoned his run while Trulli did not even attempt to set a time and decided to save his fuel instead. The duo will make up the back row for Sunday's race.
Barrichello looks in good shape for victory after setting a time nearly seven-tenths faster than anyone else.
But the constructors' championship is still delicately poised as Williams' Juan Pablo Montoya will start second after a fairly untidy lap.
The second row of the grid is an all-Toyota affair, by far the team's best ever qualifying showing.
Cristiano da Matta produced a brilliant lap early on in the session and would have been well inside the top 10 even without the help of the rain.
The Brazilian's time always promised to keep the lead runners honest - and so it proved. Fernando Alonso failed to match the Brazilian's mark in the dry while Montoya beat him by only seven-thousandths of a second.
Mark Webber and Jenson Button were big beneficiaries of the changeable weather. Both drivers made mistakes on their flying laps but will still start from sixth and ninth. Justin Wilson also made the top 10.
Takuma Sato will start his comeback race from 13th - ahead of Michael Schumacher. The Japanese driver made a big error in the first sector on his lap but the rain lent his performance some respectability.
The mixed-up grid means the finale to the championship should be anything but dull. But despite the weather's intervention, it is fair to say the odds are stacked in the favour of Ferrari and Michael Schumacher more than ever.
Grid for the Japanese Grand Prix
1 BARRICHELLO Ferrari 1m31.713s
2 MONTOYA Williams 1m32.412s
3 DA MATTA Toyota 1m32.419s
4 PANIS Toyota 1m32.862s
5 ALONSO Renault 1m33.044s
6 WEBBER Jaguar 1m33.106s
7 COULTHARD McLaren 1m33.137s
8 RAIKKONEN McLaren 1m33.272s
9 BUTTON BAR 1m33.474s
10 WILSON Jaguar 1m33.558s
11 HEIDFELD Sauber 1m33.632s
12 FRENTZEN Sauber 1m33.896s
13 SATO BAR 1m33.924s
14 M.SCHUMACHER Ferrari 1m34.302s
15 FIRMAN Jordan 1m34.771s
16 FISICHELLA Jordan 1m34.912s
17 VERSTAPPEN Minardi 1m34.975s
18 KIESA Minardi 1m37.226s
19 R.SCHUMACHER Williams 1m48.100s
20 TRULLI Renault 1m59.200s