Title rivals slip up in qualifying
Michael Schumacher and Kimi Raikkonen’s championship showdown was hit by the weather as Brazil’s Rubens Barrichello swept to pole position for tomorrow’s Japanese Grand Prix.
Schumacher could finish only 14th – his worst qualifying performance for Ferrari – while Raikkonen was eighth fastest for McLaren after the Suzuka track became slippery following rain late in the session.
But the title advantage is still with Schumacher, who only needs a point from tomorrow’s season finale to be crowned world champion for a record sixth time.
Raikkonen has to win the race and hope Schumacher finishes outside the top eight to take the title but that will be harder from his starting place and with Barrichello on pole in the other Ferrari.
Barrichello took top spot for the third time this season by 0.6secs from Juan Pablo Montoya in the Williams-BMW with Toyota’s Cristiano da Matta a career best third for Toyota.
David Coulthard, who had to hand his McLaren to Raikkonen after the Finn crashed in practice, finished seventh quickest just ahead of his team-mate.
Jenson Button finished ninth fastest comfortably outqualifying Japan’s Takuma Sato, called up to replace Jacques Villeneuve. Sato was unable to repeat his performance yesterday, when he was quicker than the Brit, as an erratic lap left him back in 13th spot.
Rookie Justin Wilson qualified in 10th spot – a career best – for Jaguar and just half-a-second adrift of team-mate Mark Webber – for a race that is vital to his future prospects with Jaguar.
The Sheffield-born racer needs a good performance in tomorrow’s season finale to stand any chance of being retained full-time in 2004 amid speculation that McLaren test driver Alexander Wurz will partner Webber next year.
Ralph Firman showed what he can do on tracks he has raced on before as he vitally out-qualified outgoing Jordan team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella for only the second time this season.
The Norwich-based driver, who spent six years racing in Japan before getting his F1 chance, boosted his future prospects by finishing over 0.1secs quicker than the Italian though the car was still only good enough for 15th place.
Firman was boosted with Ralf Schumacher skidding off in his Williams and Renault’s Jarno Trulli abandoning his lap as they suffered by being last two in the running order.
Schumacher’s problems are a blow to Williams’ hope of overturning a three-point deficit to Ferrari to snatch the Constructors’ title.
The German’s brother now looks even more assured of that record breaking title despite starting from so low down on the grid.
Barrichello said after spearheading a South American top three: “If I win it will be good for Michael and the championship so I will see what I can do.
“This is the qualifying system we have and it can work either way. The conditions were very misty and difficult so we will have to see what happens tomorrow as we have to remember the Constructors’ Championship.”
Montoya said: “It is important for me to win the race, that will help the team. I am sure Ralf will be able to make up lots of positions because he will have the power advantage. It is when he gets up to P7 that it will become more difficult.”
