MELBOURNE, 7 March 2004 — World champion Michael Schumacher will start today’s Australian Grand Prix on pole position after Ferrari painted the front row red for the fourth year running. Schumacher blasted round Melbourne’s Albert Park circuit in a record time of one minute 24.408, a mere 0.074 quicker than his Brazilian teammate Rubens Barrichello.
It was the 56th pole of the German’s Formula One career, leaving him nine short of the late Brazilian Ayrton Senna’s record, and a carbon copy of qualifying for last year’s season-opener.
Schumacher and Barrichello will not want to repeat that race, however, which left both drivers off the podium and ended a record run of success. “The team has done a fantastic job,” said the six times champion, who will be chasing his 71st win today. “This car has got great potential which it showed straight out of the box. I had a very good feeling with it today. And we are not too surprised about it, simply because Australia has always been very good for us.”
Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya, runner-up in Australia for the last two years, was third fastest alongside Briton Jenson Button in a BAR on the second row. Montoya and Button had exactly the same time of 1:24.998 but the Williams driver was listed third after setting the fastest time in the first part of Saturday’s new back-to-back qualifying. Spain’s Fernando Alonso, in a Renault, and Jaguar’s Australian Mark Webber filled the third row ahead of Japan’s Takuma Sato in a BAR and Montoya’s team mate Ralf Schumacher.
“Being eighth on the grid is obviously not what I have dreamed of but we should wait and see what the race will bring,” said Ralf. Last year’s race winner David Coulthard, due to be replaced at McLaren by Montoya next season, skewed wide on the final corner and bumped over the grass runoff.
The Scot ended up 12th on the grid, behind Finnish teammate Kimi Raikkonen in 10th place, on a disappointing afternoon for championship contenders McLaren. “It was frustrating,” said Coulthard. “I made a mistake and it’s not good enough.”
Three times a winner in Melbourne, Schumacher’s time yesterday shattered the previous fastest qualifying lap of 1:25.843 set by Barrichello in 2002.
Montoya said his car had improved considerably since Friday’s disappointing practice performance. “It was a lot better. Traditionally Williams get to a circuit and take a bit of time to get everything working,” said the Colombian.
