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Ralf Fastest in First Qualifying - German GP

BMW-Williams driver Ralf Schumacher went quickest in Friday qualifying for the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim as Michelin runners dominated the session.

BMW-Williams driver Ralf Schumacher went quickest in Friday qualifying for the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim as Michelin runners dominated the session.

Michelin runners occupied the top seven spots and eight of the top ten positions in total with Schumacher setting the pace with a lap time of 1:14.427. His teammate Juan Pablo Montoya completed a positive day for BMW-Williams with second place ahead of the Renault of Italian Jarno Trulli.

Jaguar's Mark Webber took fourth place in the session but did not blow away new teammate Justin Wilson as the Englishman took seventh in his first qualifying lap since moving from Minardi. Renault driver Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen joined in the Michelin dominance as they finished ahead of Rubens Barrichello and Michael Schumacher, with the Bridgestone-shod Ferrari drivers eighth and ninth.

Olivier Panis completed the top ten for Toyota, as McLaren's David Coulthard endured another disappointing qualifying session with the 11th best time. Michael Schumacher, the first man on track, set a benchmark time of 1:15.456, but was immediately beaten by title rival Raikkonen, who was almost two-tenths quicker.

Montoya then moved to the top of the times after going more than six tenths faster than Raikkonen during his one-lap run. Ralf Schumacher, however, took another two tenths off the quickest time to take top spot.

Barrichello looked set to continue the trend and replace Schumacher at the head of the times after going quickest in the first sector, but he slotted into fourth after losing time and ending almost a second down.

Alonso, driving on the revised circuit for the first time this weekend, produced an accomplished lap as he took third but was still more than seven tenths down on the time of Ralf Schumacher. David Coulthard, who had set the pace in practice, saw a miserable run of qualifying form continue as he was the slowest of the drivers, 1.130 seconds down on Schumacher.

Trulli gained time in the final sector to take third ahead of Renault teammate Alonso, and Webber nudged the Spaniard down a further place with another solid lap in his Jaguar.

The Bridgestone runners struggled as BAR-Honda's Jenson Button and then Jordan driver Giancarlo Fisichella were the slowest on track, the latter more than two-and-a-half seconds adrift of the best time.

Toyota's Olivier Panis moved into ninth place ahead of Coulthard, but BAR-Honda driver Jacques Villeneuve failed to set a time after abandoning his run following a spin at turn one.

Wilson put in an impressive lap time in his first outing for Jaguar to go seventh, while his replacement at Minardi Nicolas Kiesa suffered disappointment as he stopped on track on his out lap.

Pos Driver Team T1 T2 Time 1. (4) R.Schumacher Williams BMW (M) 16.336 51.368 1:14.427 2. (3) Montoya Williams BMW (M) 16.307 51.584 1:14.673 + 0.246 3. (8) Trulli Renault (M) 16.326 51.630 1:15.004 + 0.577 4. (9) Webber Jaguar Cosworth (M) 16.369 51.659 1:15.030 + 0.603 5. (6) Alonso Renault (M) 16.396 51.672 1:15.214 + 0.787 6. (2) Raikkonen McLaren Mercedes (M) 16.464 51.665 1:15.276 + 0.849 7. (19) Wilson Jaguar Cosworth (M) 16.506 51.861 1:15.373 + 0.946 8. (5) Barrichello Ferrari (B) 16.295 51.847 1:15.399 + 0.972 9. (1) M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) 16.646 52.274 1:15.456 + 1.029 10. (15) Panis Toyota (M) 16.595 52.019 1:15.471 + 1.044 11. (7) Coulthard McLaren Mercedes (M) 16.530 52.071 1:15.557 + 1.130 12. (10) Button BAR Honda (B) 16.524 52.029 1:15.754 + 1.327 13. (12) Frentzen Sauber Petronas (B) 16.939 52.446 1:15.968 + 1.541 14. (16) Heidfeld Sauber Petronas (B) 16.539 52.272 1:15.985 + 1.558 15. (13) da Matta Toyota (M) 16.851 52.655 1:16.540 + 2.113 16. (17) Firman Jordan Ford (B) 16.749 52.960 1:17.044 + 2.617 17. (11) Fisichella Jordan Ford (B) 16.898 53.162 1:17.111 + 2.684 18. (18) Verstappen Minardi Cosworth (B) 16.986 53.221 1:17.702 + 3.275 19. (14) Villeneuve BAR Honda (B) - - No Time 20. (20) Kiesa Minardi Cosworth (B) - - No Time Pos ----- Sector 1 ----- ----- Sector 2 ----- ----- Sector 3 ----- 1. Barrichello 16.295 R.Schumacher 35.032 R.Schumacher 23.059 2. Montoya 16.307 Raikkonen 35.201 Montoya 23.089 3. Trulli 16.326 Alonso 35.276 M.Schumacher 23.182 4. R.Schumacher 16.336 Montoya 35.277 Webber 23.371 5. Webber 16.369 Webber 35.290 Trulli 23.374 6. Alonso 16.396 Trulli 35.304 Panis 23.452 7. Raikkonen 16.464 Wilson 35.355 Coulthard 23.486 8. Wilson 16.506 Panis 35.424 Wilson 23.512 9. Button 16.524 Button 35.505 Frentzen 23.522 10. Coulthard 16.530 Frentzen 35.507 Alonso 23.542 11. Heidfeld 16.539 Coulthard 35.541 Barrichello 23.552 12. Panis 16.595 Barrichello 35.552 Raikkonen 23.611 13. M.Schumacher 16.646 M.Schumacher 35.628 Heidfeld 23.713 14. Firman 16.749 Heidfeld 35.733 Button 23.725 15. da Matta 16.851 da Matta 35.804 da Matta 23.885 16. Fisichella 16.898 Firman 36.211 Fisichella 23.949 17. Frentzen 16.939 Verstappen 36.235 Firman 24.084 18. Verstappen 16.986 Fisichella 36.264 Verstappen 24.481 Top Speed: 321.6 (M.Schumacher, Ferrari) All timing unofficial

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