Schumacher snatches San Marino GP pole

Michael and Ralf Schumacher overcame fears about the health of their mother as they both grabbed places on the front row of the grid for tomorrow’s San Marino Grand Prix in Imola.

Schumacher senior edged out younger brother Ralf by just 0.014 secs to claim his second pole position of the season for Ferrari and the 52nd of his career.

The Schumacher’s 55-year-old mother, Elizabeth, is in a come in a Cologne hospital after a fall at her German home last week.

The Schumacher’s 55-year-old mother, Elizabeth, is in a come in a Cologne hospital after a fall at her German home last week.

The brothers spent much of last week by her bedside before flying direct to Imola for this weekend’s race.

“Her condition is certainly stable,” Ralf has been quoted as saying. “But we’re still very worried about her.”

A close confidant of Schumacher senior said: “This is a very private thing. She has been in hospital since last week. Michael and Ralf are in constant contact with their father and the doctors.”

The Schumacher’s are said to check on their mother’s condition after every session in Italy but there is no question of them not racing tomorrow.

Schumacher will start from top spot after blasting his way to pole to displace Ralf whose long-term future at Williams-BMW is said to be under threat.

The speculation is that Schumacher will be replaced at the end of this season by Jordan’s Giancarlo Fisichella even though he will still have a year to run on his contract.

Brazil’s Rubens Barrichello qualified in third place for Ferrari with Juan Pablo Montoya fourth in the other Williams.

Mark Webber maintained his fine early season form with fifth place for Jaguar Racing to edge out the McLaren of championship leader Kimi Raikkonen.

Jenson Button was the highest placed Brit after posting the ninth best time for BAR-Honda with team-mate Jacques Villeneuve a couple of places higher up the grid.

David Coulthard, nine points behind McLaren team-mate Raikkonen, will start in a lowly 12th spot after he was outqualified by the Finn for the first time this season following an untidy one-off lap.

Justin Wilson will start 18th on the grid for Minardi while Ralph Firman was 19th for Jordan-Ford after a ragged qualifying lap when he locked up his wheels braking too late for a chicane.

Dutchman Jos Verstappen did not post a time in his Minardi after sliding into the tyre barriers on his qualifying lap causing the session to be red flagged while the car was hoisted off the circuit.