NUERBURGRING, Germany, 28 June 2003 — Kimi Raikkonen took the fight to Formula One leader Michael Schumacher yesterday with the top time in first qualifying for tomorrow’s European Grand Prix.
The Finn, three points adrift of Ferrari’s world champion after the German took back the lead in Canada two weeks ago, powered his McLaren around his rival’s home track in one minute 29.989 seconds.
Schumacher, chasing his fifth win of the year tomorrow and his 50th for Ferrari to become the first driver to score 1,000 championship points, was second quickest with a time 0.364 slower than the 23-year-old.
“The car has been good and the tires were really good, I’m quite happy to be first on Friday,” said Raikkonen, who got his lap in before the skies opened and drenched the circuit for the later runners.
Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya and his Williams teammate Ralf Schumacher were third and fourth fastest respectively with Brazilian Rubens Barrichello, winner at the Nuerburgring last year, fifth for Ferrari.
Briton David Coulthard was sixth for McLaren. Raikkonen left no doubt about his intentions to regain the initiative in what is also a home race for his team’s engine partners Mercedes but Ferrari remained confident. The Nuerburgring’s capricious climate favored the front-runners and ended the hopes of the tail-enders as rain fell halfway through the session. The deteriorating conditions saw a switch to extreme weather tires, with spray billowing out behind the cars and reduced visibility.
