Schumacher Aims to Put on Good Show

World Champion Michael Schumacher said he hopes to put on a good show for the Bahrain public in Sunday's inaugural Grand Prix in the Middle East after securing pole position for the race.

Ferrari's Schumacher ensured he will start from pole for the third successive time this season as he looks to maintain his perfect start to the year with another victory in the heat of Bahrain.

Schumacher has yet to be beaten this year, winning in Australia and Malaysia while Ferrari have won every race since the Italian Grand Prix last September. The champion may not dominate in the desert on Sunday but he remains the favourite to win.

The German took his 58th career pole position ahead of teammate Rubens Barrichello and is now looking to entertain the crowd at the state-of-the-art Bahrain International Circuit in Sunday's history-making race.

"I was confident we would fight for the pole but I knew it would be close," said Schumacher, who was almost four-tenths quicker than second placed Barrichello. "We have all gone off the circuit, you try and conditions change.

"I think it will be difficult to handle in the race - it is so slippy off line and the nature of the circuit is already slippy and that makes it tricky. But we have found a very well prepared circuit for this conditions.

"The circuit is difficult but that is what we are looking for and I hope we will give all the spectators a good show - it is a new country."

Barrichello, who was the 10th runner on the track, claimed he had been too conservative on his lap but accepted Schumacher had produced another stunning performance.

"I was a little bit too conservative on it," Barrichello said. "The last corner was where I lost it. Michael had a phenomenal sector there and that is where I lost the time. I had a reasonable run but it was faster later in the session.

"I am happy with the balance and the brakes and I think we have a good package for the race."