Schumacher Facing 'Big Challenge'

World Champion Michael Schumacher says he has a "big challenge" ahead of him in Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix after losing out on the lottery of a wet single-lap qualifying session at Spa-Francorchamps on Saturday.

German Schumacher, who is chasing his seventh world title with a 13th victory in the 14th race of the season, finished second to Italian Renault driver Jarno Trulli after rain hampered his flying lap.

"We obviously have a big challenge in front of us tomorrow because we know both the Renault guys are good starters so we hope we can compete and then we will find out how the race goes," said Schumacher.

"It is a lottery, in a way. Just 10 minutes to the end we got an extra splash of rain, which was not supposed to be, but, anyway, we are in the first row, second position, and with the conditions I think we can be quite happy."

Schumacher surprised the field when he almost snatched pole position despite suffering worsening conditions at the forested circuit when he went out for his lap late in the session.

He was fastest in the first two sectors but lost time in the vital final part of the lap when he made a mistake heading into the Bus Stop chicane and lost out by less than one tenth of a second.

"It was actually not so fantastic," said Schumacher of his lap. "I struggled a little bit at the top of the hill into turn five, I got a bit sideways and lost the grip there, lost a couple of tenths.

"Then towards the end it got a little bit tricky. As you saw before the conditions seemed to favour to be a little bit quicker in the last sector and I didn't have the traction out of the last corner compared to what those guys had.

"That is what cost us the time. But I don't think we have to complain because considering the conditions to be in that position I am pretty happy. It was a nice lap for that and we can do everything from there on."