Barrichello Happy with First Pole of 2004

Brazilian Rubens Barrichello was delighted after sweeping out of Michael Schumacher's shadow at the US Grand Prix on Saturday to seize his first pole position of the season.

World Champion Schumacher, gunning for his eighth victory in nine races on Sunday after winning in Canada last weekend, had to settle for second best in an all-Ferrari front row. The German was 0.177 seconds slower than Barrichello's lap of 1:10.223 on a sunny afternoon at 'The Brickyard'.

It was the 10th pole position of Barrichello's Formula One career and his first since Japan last October, when he also celebrated his last victory.

"It feels nice to be here...there's loads of Brazilians out there and I had a positive run just going out and it was nice, I could almost hear them shouting," said Barrichello. "It was just an easy lap, trying not to make any mistake on the limit and finally my first pole of the season."

Schumacher, still five poles off the late Brazilian Ayrton Senna's all-time record of 65, congratulated his long-suffering teammate who had been consistently faster than him in Friday's free practice.

"I'm pleased. We're both on the front row. Naturally I would have preferred the other position but Rubens did a better job so that's where we are," he said. "I struggled in the mid-sector, had to fight far too much oversteer in there and I lost reasonable time and there was obviously the doubt that I would keep that position.

"Actually, I was expecting to drop further back," added the double winner at Indianapolis.