SILVERSTONE, England, 19 July 2003 — Five-time world champion Michael Schumacher served notice here yesterday that he was still the man who sets the benchmark in Formula One when he clocked the quickest time in opening qualifying for tomorrow’s British Grand Prix.
In front of a shivering Silverstone, where the grandstands were less than half-full, the German star clocked 1min 19.474secs in his Ferrari with the reborn Williams duo of Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher, the winner of the last two rounds, in second and third place respectively, 0.275sec and 0.314sec further back.
However, Ferrari’s celebrations were muted after Rubens Barrichello spun off meaning he will be first out on the track in today’s second qualifying session. Under cold and heavy overcast skies, Michael Schumacher, who had been only ninth in morning practice, clocked 1min 19.474 running first on the track. It was a time which proved beyond everyone else. Kimi Raikkonen, second in the championship, eight points behind the German, struggled to keep his McLaren on the treacherous, greasy surface and could only manage 1:21.065. Ralf Schumacher, the winner at the Nurburgring and Magny-Cours, then went second best at the time, on 1:19.788 before Montoya then deposed him in 1:19.749.Barrichello then lost control of his Ferrari at Brooklands as he pushed for the top spot and the session was red-flagged. The Brazilian had endured a torrid day.
As the session restarted, Renault’s Fernando Alonso moved into fourth with 1:19.907 before David Coulthard, the winner here in 1999 and 2000 and desperately in need of a good result here on Sunday, clocked 1:19.968 in his McLaren.
That put the Scotsman into fifth spot at the time, one place better than teammate Raikkonen although eventually he was to be seventh overall. The McLaren duo were then demoted a further place when Renault’s Jarno Trulli went fifth fastest with 1:19.963 although Toyota’s Olivier Panis was to eventually snatch fifth place. Jaguar’s Mark Webber, second fastest in morning practice, split the two McLarens, as did Jenson Button and Cristiano Matta, to leave Raikkonen in a sobering 12th spot at the finish.
