Barrichello Fastest in First Qualifying - Australia

Brazilian Rubens Barrichello claimed the first Friday 'overnight' pole position of the new-look Formula One world championship season on Friday when he clocked the best time with his single fastest lap in opening qualifying for Sunday's season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

The Ferrari driver lived up to his word of delivering a virile challenge to his teammate defending World Champion Michael Schumacher by delivering the quickest lap when he went out on the track as the second runner, following the five-times champion, early in a session run in warm conditions under a cloudy sky.

The Latin American's effort hoisted him immediately to the top of the time sheets and he stayed there unchallenged for the remainder of a strange hour of qualifying with no more than two cars on the circuit at any one time and few observers understanding, or daring to claim to understand, precisely what the outcome signified.

Flying Finn Kimi Raikkonen, in his McLaren Mercedes Benz, was second quickest with a quick lap after he went out sixth following his teammate Briton David Coulthard and Canadian Jacques Villeneuve third in his BAR-Honda. Villeneuve's lap came after both he and his new teammate Briton Jenson Button had suffered engine problems in the morning.

Schumacher, perhaps holding back or running with a tactical fuel load, wound up fourth in the session that will only dictate the running order for Saturday's final qualifying session. Briton Jenson Button, in the second BAR-Honda, was fifth and Coulthard sixth.

There were few dramatic moments, however, save one when Ralph Firman, the British newcomer in a Jordan Ford, ran wide and in and out of a gravel trap, and it was difficult to feel stirred by any of the new introductions with never more than two cars on the track at the same time.

Pos Driver Team T1 T2 Time 1. Barrichello Ferrari (B) 28.740 51.808 1:26.372 2. Raikkonen McLaren-Mercedes (M) 28.840 51.886 1:26.551 + 0.179 3. Villeneuve BAR-Honda (B) 28.887 51.951 1:26.832 + 0.460 4. M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) 29.145 52.343 1:27.103 + 0.731 5. Button BAR-Honda (B) 28.886 52.209 1:27.159 + 0.787 6. Coulthard McLaren-Mercedes (M) 29.080 52.178 1:27.242 + 0.870 7. Alonso Renault (M) 29.200 52.536 1:27.255 + 0.883 8. Panis Toyota (M) 29.504 52.534 1:27.352 + 0.980 9. Trulli Renault (M) 29.090 52.511 1:27.411 + 1.039 10. Montoya Williams-BMW (M) 29.055 52.319 1:27.450 + 1.078 11. da Matta Toyota (M) 28.935 51.996 1:27.478 + 1.106 12. Heidfeld Sauber-Petronas (B) 29.141 52.383 1:27.510 + 1.138 13. Frentzen Sauber-Petronas (B) 29.265 52.588 1:27.563 + 1.191 14. Fisichella Jordan-Ford (B) 29.079 52.484 1:27.633 + 1.261 15. Webber Jaguar-Cosworth (M) 29.396 52.627 1:27.675 + 1.303 16. R.Schumacher Williams-BMW (M) 29.848 53.062 1:28.266 + 1.894 17. Firman Jordan-Ford (B) 29.378 52.978 1:29.977 + 3.605 18. Verstappen Minardi-Cosworth (B) 29.792 53.667 1:30.053 + 3.681 19. Pizzonia Jaguar-Cosworth (M) 29.430 52.702 1:30.092 + 3.720 20. Wilson Minardi-Cosworth (B) 30.191 54.166 1:30.479 + 4.107 Pos ----- Sector 1 ----- ----- Sector 2 ----- ----- Sector 3 ----- 1. Barrichello 28.740 Panis 23.030 Barrichello 34.564 2. Raikkonen 28.840 Raikkonen 23.046 Raikkonen 34.665 3. Button 28.886 da Matta 23.061 Alonso 34.719 4. Villeneuve 28.887 Villeneuve 23.064 M.Schumacher 34.760 5. da Matta 28.935 Barrichello 23.068 Panis 34.818 6. Montoya 29.055 Coulthard 23.098 Villeneuve 34.881 7. Fisichella 29.079 M.Schumacher 23.198 Trulli 34.900 8. Coulthard 29.080 R.Schumacher 23.214 Button 34.950 9. Trulli 29.090 Webber 23.231 Frentzen 34.975 10. Heidfeld 29.141 Heidfeld 23.242 Webber 35.048 11. M.Schumacher 29.145 Montoya 23.264 Coulthard 35.064 12. Alonso 29.200 Pizzonia 23.272 Heidfeld 35.127 13. Frentzen 29.265 Frentzen 23.323 Montoya 35.131 14. Firman 29.378 Button 23.323 Fisichella 35.149 15. Webber 29.396 Alonso 23.336 R.Schumacher 35.204 16. Pizzonia 29.430 Fisichella 23.405 da Matta 35.482 17. Panis 29.504 Trulli 23.421 Wilson 36.313 18. Verstappen 29.792 Firman 23.600 Verstappen 36.386 19. R.Schumacher 29.848 Verstappen 23.875 Firman 36.999 20. Wilson 30.191 Wilson 23.975 Pizzonia 37.390 Top Speed: 314.4km/h (R.Schumacher, Williams) All timing unofficial