Schumacher Fastest in First Qualifying - Chinese GP
World Champion Michael Schumacher finished fastest for Ferrari in pre-qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix to give himself the best chance of securing the first ever pole position at the Shanghai International Circuit.
World Champion Michael Schumacher finished fastest for Ferrari in pre-qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix to give himself the best chance of securing the first ever pole position at the Shanghai International Circuit.
Schumacher's time of 1:33.185 - the fastest ever around the new track - put him 0.314 seconds clear of second-placed Finn Kimi Raikkonen, of McLaren-Mercedes, and 0.553 seconds clear of Giancarlo Fisichella's Sauber in third.
Brazilian pair Rubens Barrichello, of Ferrari, and Felipe Massa, in the second Sauber, finished fourth and fifth with Ralf Schumacher was sixth for Williams-BMW on his return from an injury break.
Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya finished sixth, 0.831 seconds off the lead pace and just less than two tenths behind his returning teammate Schumacher, with Japanese driver Takuma Sato in eighth for BAR-Honda.
Frenchman Olivier Panis, of Toyota, finished ninth with Briton Jenson Button tenth in the second BAR while Canadian Jacques Villeneuve finished 13th on his debut for Renault, one place ahead of Spanish teammate Fernando Alonso.
Pos Driver Team T1 T2 Time 1. (2) M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) 24.431 52.065 1:33.185 2. (16) Raikkonen McLaren-Mercedes (M) 24.738 52.525 1:33.499 + 0.314 3. (7) Fisichella Sauber-Petronas (B) 24.784 52.632 1:33.738 + 0.553 4. (1) Barrichello Ferrari (B) 24.437 51.997 1:33.787 + 0.602 5. (10) Massa Sauber-Petronas (B) 24.457 52.363 1:33.816 + 0.631 6. (18) R.Schumacher Williams-BMW (M) 24.677 52.527 1:33.849 + 0.664 7. (5) Montoya Williams-BMW (M) 24.727 52.702 1:34.016 + 0.831 8. (4) Sato BAR-Honda (M) 24.694 52.708 1:34.051 + 0.866 9. (17) Panis Toyota (M) 24.841 52.861 1:34.153 + 0.968 10. (3) Button BAR-Honda (M) 24.824 52.886 1:34.273 + 1.088 11. (8) Webber Jaguar-Cosworth (M) 24.698 52.648 1:34.334 + 1.149 12. (6) Coulthard McLaren-Mercedes (M) 24.963 52.935 1:34.355 + 1.170 13. (19) Villeneuve Renault (M) 25.180 53.253 1:34.425 + 1.240 14. (14) Alonso Renault (M) 24.873 53.148 1:34.599 + 1.414 15. (12) Heidfeld Jordan-Ford (B) 24.891 53.232 1:34.808 + 1.623 16. (9) Zonta Toyota (M) 24.969 52.997 1:34.958 + 1.773 17. (11) Klien Jaguar-Cosworth (M) 25.105 53.538 1:35.447 + 2.262 18. (15) Bruni Minardi-Cosworth (B) 25.200 54.313 1:36.623 + 3.438 19. (20) Glock Jordan-Ford (B) 25.200 54.156 1:37.143 + 3.958 20. (13) Baumgartner Minardi-Cosworth (B) 25.865 54.963 1:37.510 + 4.325 All timing unofficial
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