Ralf steals big brother’s thunder with sizzling display
Schumacher, who failed to receive the big airhorn welcome reserved for his world champion brother, led a Williams one-two at the Hockenheim circuit as their Michelin tyres excelled in the hot conditions.
His time of 1min 14.427secs beat Colombian team-mate Juan Pablo Montoya’s lap by 0.246 secs as Michelin runners filled the top seven positions and Michael finished ninth in his Bridgestone-shod Ferrari.
“The car was perfect, brilliantly balanced,” Ralf said.
“The tyres were very good and we sorted out the small problems we had in the morning. I took it quite easy but you have to be happy with a result like this. I am looking forward to the race. It is probably going to be hot and that suits our package.”
Montoya said he was satisfied with his showing.
“I could have gone slightly faster, but the car has good balance and we made the right tyre choice. We are well set for Saturday.”
Italian Jarno Trulli, of Renault, was the third fastest man on track, but his time was 0.577 seconds slower than the lead Williams.
Trulli’s Spanish team-mate Fernando Alonso finished fifth, one place behind the Jaguar of Australian Mark Webber, whose new team-mate Justin Wilson finished an impressive seventh.
Championship challenger Kimi Raikkonen ended the session sixth in the McLaren, just ahead of Wilson and leading Ferrari driver Rubens Barrichello, who won at Silverstone two weekends ago.
Frenchman Olivier Panis, of Toyota, was tenth. Michael Schumacher came out first but his time was immediately beaten by Raikkonen and then slashed by Montoya and younger brother, Ralf, who was slower in the first sector but picked up the pace in the next two. Barrichello, in the second Ferrari, failed to continue the trend but still slotted in ahead of team-mate Schumacher to push the world champion down to fifth.
“This was not the best qualifying lap of my career,” Schumacher admitted. “The others seem to be very strong over one lap but we can be confident for the race.”
Alonso then put his Renault into third behind the dominant Williams pair and, after David Coulthard, who eventually finished 11th, failed to achieve the same in the second McLaren, Trulli moved up to third in the second Renault. Webber then split the two Renaults to move into fourth in the Jaguar but Jenson Button further underlined the problems with the Bridgestone tyres by finishing last of the first ten runners.
Meanwhile, Ralph Firman said yesterday that he wants to extend his stay with Jordan and help bring the glory days back to the team.
Firman signed a deal to join the Formula One circus just weeks before the new season but along with team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella has struggled to make an impression.
Fisichella has 10 points to his name from his surprise win in the rain-affected Brazilian Grand Prix, while Firman has one point from eighth place in the Spanish Grand Prix.
This year has been a far cry from Jordan’s success in the 1999 season when they finished third in the constructors’ championship behind Ferrari and McLaren.
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