MONACO, 30 May 2003 — Ferrari ruled the streets of Monte Carlo yesterday with Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher leading teammate Rubens Barrichello in first qualifying for Sunday’s Grand Prix.
The German, seeking a record-equaling sixth win in Monaco to take over the championship lead, was a master of precision as he lapped the tight and twisty street circuit in one minute 16.305 seconds. “It is always difficult to predict what can happen here in Monaco, but we can be confident for the rest of the weekend as the car is working well,” said Schumacher.
The champion has started on pole and won the last three races in a row this season. He was well inside last year’s pole time of 1:16.676, set on a slightly different circuit by Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya in a Williams. Brazilian Barrichello was 0.331 behind the five-times champion to ensure that the Ferrari drivers will run last of all in tomorrow’s decisive one lap qualifying session to determine the starting grid.
Briton Jenson Button was the best of the rest with an impressive third fastest time for BAR while Italian Jarno Trulli underlined Renault’s challenge with the fourth fastest time. His less experienced Spanish teammate Fernando Alonso paid the price for errors on the unforgiving track and ended up 14th.
McLaren’s David Coulthard, winner last year and in 2000, was fifth quickest while team mate and championship leader Kimi Raikkonen languished in 11th place. The session was halted for 25 minutes to clean up oil dumped on the track by the Sauber of Heinz-Harald Frentzen, whose engine leaked oil as he started his flying lap.
German Frentzen, who failed to start the last race in Austria due to a clutch problem, set no time and will run first tomorrow. Mark Webber, fastest for Jaguar in morning practice, was next out after marshals had laid cement dust on the oil spill but had to settle for ninth place. Canadian Jacques Villeneuve, Button’s team mate, also had his hopes wrecked by the track conditions.
Montoya had a disappointing afternoon with the eighth best time, while teammate Ralf Schumacher was sixth.
