Grapevine: Straw Poll: Saturday at Interlagos

Finally, something tangible has happened in the battle for the drivers' championship at Interlagos. After almost two weeks of theories, soundbites, Vasco de Gama football shirts, black cats, controversial websites and expert opinions - a development!

And that development was qualifying and the first real shift in the competitive situation since the end of the Chinese Grand Prix.

It was no surprise to see two Ferraris at the sharp end, but what was totally unexpected was the random appearance of a potentially lightweight Jarno Trulli on the front row.

That pushed Lewis Hamilton down to fourth, and raised all manner of questions, conspiracy theories and fears for what might happen at the start.

Now, as we know, the start of a grand prix is subject to more variables than any other part of the race. But that's not going to stop all kinds of scenarios being run through by all and sundry!

There is a school of thought that Hamilton, being way down in fourth on the grid is some kind of disaster, which it probably isn't. In reality, everyone was expecting him to be behind a brace of Ferraris and the presence of a three-stopping Trulli ahead of him isn't exactly a crisis.

What qualifying has done, is set up a potentially fascinating grand prix. There are all manner of pitfalls for Hamilton and McLaren to avoid - the irony is that some of the same people who were urging him to play it conservative are now spreading panic about him having to start fourth!

But with all the attention on the title protagonists, spare a thought for a couple of the old stagers who fell in Q2.

Sixteenth place may not sound like much, but it was a great effort from Rubens Barrichello behind the wheel off the recalcitrant Honda RA108. It may, or may not be, the Brazilian's last-ever grand prix qualifying session, but he will be sharing the eighth row with someone who was definitely in that position - David Coulthard.

Having spent the months since his retirement announcement at the British Grand Prix insisting everything was business as usual, things have changed a little bit for the 13-time race winner at Interlagos.

He's savouring every moment, and was determined not to suffer the ignominy of dropping out in the first segment of qualifying!

"It was not lost on me that this is the last time I will run a grand prix car on low fuel against the clock," he said. "I was really nervous before the session because I thought 'I don't want to go out in the first session!' It's like the walk of shame getting out of the car after first qualifying so at least I got into the second session!"

Unfortunately, the Scot, like Red Bull Racing teammate Mark Webber could go not further.

But you'd be hard-pressed to find too many in the paddock who wouldn't like to see DC head off into the sunset with a couple more points to add to what stands as the fifth-highest career aggregate in world championship history.