Montoya Confident Despite Missing Out on Front Row

Juan Pablo Montoya is confident ahead of Sunday's German Grand Prix despite failing to score his sixth consecutive pole position today at the Hockenheim circuit.

German World Champion Michael Schumacher clinched his first pole position since April's Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona after beating his brother Ralf on the dying seconds of the session.

Williams teammate Montoya, who drifted wide into the dirt on his first attempt at a fast lap, had to settle for fourth place behind Brazilian Rubens Barrichello.

"After having achieved five poles in a row I can cope with starting from the second row," said Montoya. "For the race I am quite confident, even though I believe Ferrari will be strong. On my first flying lap I was struggling with quite a lot of understeer and sliding through the gravel trap.

"Afterwards I was able to improve. But on my last outing I made a mistake at the hairpin. I locked the front tyres there. That was it."

Teammate Ralf, winner of the race at the old Hockenheim last year, was happy with an all-Schumacher front row in front of their fans, and said that he was hoping to turn the tables on Sunday.

"It's the best that can happen," he said of the all- Schumacher front row. "The whole weekend has been very good for me, certainly I would have loved to be on pole but I hope to swap it around tomorrow."