Schumacher Ready for Record Win

Ferrari's Michael Schumacher is primed to make Formula One history in Belgium on Sunday after finally claiming the one pole position that has escaped him for a decade.

The five-times World Champion gave a qualifying masterclass at his favourite circuit on Saturday, lapping nearly half a second faster than the best of the rest on a dry and clear afternoon in the Ardennes forests.

It was the 48th pole of his career and completed Schumacher's collection. The German can now boast that he has started every Grand Prix on the current 17-race calendar from pole position at some point since he made his debut at Spa in 1991.

Schumacher, who has won a record five times in Belgium, aims to continue his reign as the king of Spa by becoming the first driver to win 10 grands prix in a single season. He already shares the record of nine with Briton Nigel Mansell, a spectator at Spa on Saturday.

"Certainly I look forward to it," said Schumacher of scoring his tenth win of the season. "Obviously Spa is my most favourite circuit and to do well means a lot to me, because of the history I've had here, and therefore it would be the ideal result."

Schumacher, who always professes a disinterest for statistics, said he had only realised this week that he had never before been on pole at Spa.

"Some guys told me on Thursday and I wasn't aware at all," he said. "I thought it had happened somewhere. I don't keep too much record of what I have done. But finally today we were able to do it."

The German finished ahead of Finn Kimi Raikkonen and his own teammate Rubens Barrichello, who missed out on the front row.